| Entries |
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| 20090259548 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FLEXIBLE ELECTION OF PAYMENT TERMS - A method is disclosed for offering transaction account consumers with payment term options to pay a minimum amount due early, defer payment into the following payment cycle, and pay a standard amount when due. When generating a periodic billing statement, the invention determines a consumer's eligibility to elect early payment, deferred payment, and regular payment. When a consumer is eligible for early payment, a received payment is compared to a discount rate tier, then a discount amount is calculated and credited to the consumer's account. When the consumer is eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum payment due by multiplying the current non-deferred balance by a predetermined percentage amount and adding the result to the deferred balance. When the consumer is not eligible for deferred payment, the system calculates a new current minimum due by summing the current non-deferred balance with the deferred balance. | 10-15-2009 |
| 20090271263 | PROMOTIONAL PROGRAMS WITH ELECTRONIC RECEIPTS - Tools for improving interactions between promoters and consumers of products. These tools can enable promoters of products to employ more effective promotional programs, and consumers to receive promotional information about products of interest, while avoiding the excessive overload of information about promotions that are not of interest. Some such tools can enhance consumer satisfaction with—and, correspondingly, consumer participation in—promotional programs by allowing consumers to tailor the discount programs to their preferences, by analyzing consumer behavior and tailoring promotions accordingly, and/or by providing cross promotions of complementary products. Some of the tools can provide substantial savings, in both costs and natural resources, as well as provide a more satisfying experience for consumers, by substantially reducing, or even eliminating, excessive use of paper for promotional programs and transaction receipts. | 10-29-2009 |
| 20090276306 | UTILIZING AN ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEM TO IMPLEMENT REBATE PROGRAMS - Some example embodiments described herein relate a system and method for utilizing an electronic payment system to implement rebate programs. The system includes a communication module that receives at an electronic payment system a request from a first party for making a rebate payment to a second party. The system further includes a processor that is connected to the communication module and a transaction module that deposits the rebate payment into an account of the second party that exists with the electronic payment system after receiving instruction from the processor. The method includes receiving a request at an electronic payment system for a first party to make a rebate payment to a second party and using the electronic payment system to make the rebate payment into an account of the second party that exists with the electronic payment system. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20090281886 | INDICATING PHYSICAL SITE ENERGY USAGE THROUGH A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT - Real world energy usage can be reduced using a virtual environment. A virtual universe energy conservation system (“system”) can determine comprehensive energy usage at a physical site where a client accessing a virtual universe is located. The system can determine that the comprehensive energy usage at the physical site exceeds an energy usage threshold. The system can also notify a virtual universe user account associated with the client that the comprehensive energy usage at the physical site exceeds the energy usage threshold. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090287556 | METHOD, SYSTEM, AND STORAGE MEDIUM FOR PRE-SCREENING CUSTOMERS FOR CREDIT CARD APPROVAL AT A POINT OF SALE - An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system and storage medium for pre-screening customers for a credit card at a point of sale. The method includes receiving the customer data at a point of sale system and, during a check out process: transmitting the customer data to a server; searching a database for the customer data; and based upon results of the searching, performing a credit worthiness check and providing said customer with an invitation to open a charge account. If the customer accepts the invitation, a charge account is opened before a payment method is selected whereby the customer can place the items selected for purchase on the new charge account while at the point of sale system. The system includes at least one point of sale system coupled to a communications link; a server coupled to the point of sale system via the communications link; a data storage device in communication with the server; and a link to a credit information server. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090287557 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INCENTIVIZING CONSUMERS - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 11-19-2009 |
| 20090292601 | Profit-Sharing Incentive System For Account Vendors - A profit-sharing incentive system for account vendors is described. In one implementation, systems and methods estimate an up-front profit share incentive to be paid to a merchant for opening a merchant account that enables credit card payments. The up-front profit share is estimated from parameters such as the merchant's transaction volume and a discount rate. At the beginning of each new profit sharing period, the up-front profit share may be renewed. An online system for marketing merchant accounts can advertise and electronically transfer the up-front profit share amount that is customized for the merchant. The merchant can initiate the process online using a system website. A user interface displays numerous parameters and monetary values associated with a given merchant account, including monthly profit flowing to a processing entity and a current commodity value of the merchant account. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090292602 | METHODS, DEVICES, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRONIC COUPONS - Electronic coupons are distributed by receiving customer preferences including a customer identifier associated with a preferred vendor identifier, a preferred vendor category identifier, a preferred product/service identifier, or a preferred brand name identifier. Vendor information is received which includes a vendor identifier, a vendor category identifier, a vendor product/service identifier, a brand name identifier, or a promotional offer discount parameter. The customer preferences are compared with the vendor information to determine whether or not a match exists between the customer preferences and the vendor information. If a match exists, an electronic coupon is generated that includes information indicative of the preferred vendor identifier, the preferred vendor category identifier, the preferred product/service identifier, the preferred brand name identifier, or the promotional offer discount parameter. The generated electronic coupon is distributed to a customer associated with the customer identifier. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090292603 | Method and System for Transferring Funds - A system and method of transferring funds includes a communication module configured to provide a user or automated process with an option of setting up an automatic fund transfer from a first payment channel to a second payment channel. | 11-26-2009 |
| 20090307072 | Apparatus and Method for Managing Bank Account Services, Advertisement Delivery and Reward Points - A system to securely and effectively control, process and manage financial services, targeted advertisement delivery, multiple account cards and reward points comprising a web portal or financial institution internet banking portal, offering financial services comprising a secure and effective on-line apparatus and method to manage bank account services, reward points, account cards and advertisement by matching users with advertisers wherein accurate information, such as current personally identifiable financial and transactional information as well as on-line behavioral data, is employed by means to securely process, control and manage financial information located within the premises of the financial institution providing the financial services as one of the criteria for matching advertisers with users. | 12-10-2009 |
| 20090319353 | System for electronic re-allocation of a transaction amount to an investment - This system may include a system for electronically reallocating any portion of a transaction by maintaining a user account at a user institution; maintaining a vendor account at a vendor institution; maintaining a user account at a trust institution; initiating a transaction for the transaction amount; electronically distributing the transaction amount from said user account to said vendor account; and electronically distributing at least a portion of the transaction amount from the vendor account to the user account at the trust institution, wherein the portion of the transaction amount in the user account at the trust institution is placed in an investment vehicle. The system of the present invention may further comprise providing an interactive information source between the user and the trust institution, whereby the trust institution can provide information (current or historical) to the user regarding the portion of the transaction amount placed in the investment vehicle. | 12-24-2009 |
| 20090327062 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OPTIMAL PRICING - The systems and methods disclosed relate to the buying and selling of products. More particularly, the systems and methods relate to providing all buyers with the cost savings benefit of economies of scale. Economy of scale benefits involve unit (product) cost reductions which result from increasing total unit output, or sales. Typically, as a seller sells more of a unit, the cost per unit will eventually decline. Such a system discourages initial buyers and rewards later buyers. The present systems and methods can provide economy of scale benefits to all buyers and sellers of products. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100030633 | SYSTEM FOR BIOMETRIC SECURITY USING A FOB - The present invention discloses a system and methods for biometric security using biometrics in a transponder-reader system. The biometric security system also includes a biometric sensor that detects biometric samples and a device for verifying biometric samples. In one embodiment, the biometric security system includes a transponder configured with a biometric sensor. In another embodiment, the system includes a reader configured with a biometric sensor. The device for verifying samples compares the biometric samples with information stored on databases. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100030634 | Altering Card-Issuer Interchange Categories - This document describes tools capable of determining ways in which to alter interchange categories assigned to credit-card transactions. In some embodiments, the tools receive parameters for interchange categories and transaction information for a client (e.g., one or more merchants) that has been charged interchange fees based on some of these categories. The tools may determine, based on these parameters and transaction information, how parameters may be changed to enable similar credit-card transactions to be assigned a lower-cost interchange category and the accompanying potential fee savings. | 02-04-2010 |
| 20100042489 | Method and system for incentivizing savings - A method and system for incentivizing savings is provided by awarding a bonus upon receiving a number of recurring transfers during a period of time. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100063874 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVES DURING A CONSUMER AND A MERCHANT PURCHASE TRANSACTION - Various methods and systems are provided to facilitate on-line transactions through the issuance of incentives based on a current transaction between a merchant and consumer. A payment provider determines a suitable incentive for the consumer during the transaction and may also use data about the consumer from previous transactions. The incentive is provided, such as on the merchant website, so that the consumer can use it during the transaction for a highly likelihood of increasing the purchase. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100070358 | REC CREDIT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A method for promoting recycling from a fund established with revenue generated from the sale of environmental and/or power generation attributes by an entity producing renewable energy. The method comprises providing a point system by which a recycling consumer is credited for recycled materials collected. Further, the method provides for a reward system for redemption of points accumulated by the recycling consumer, the reward system including redeemable fund certificates drawn against the fund. The method further includes collecting recyclable materials from the recycling consumer and crediting an account in the name of the recycling consumer based on the quantity and/or quality of the recyclable material collected. Then the method provides for awarding fund certificates to the recycling consumer upon the accumulation of a sufficient point level. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100070359 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING DISCOUNT RATES FOR A CARD TRANSACTION - According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a system for dynamically adjusting discount rates for a closed loop transaction. A computer implemented method for dynamically adjusting discount rates for a card transaction comprises the steps of identifying credit worthiness of at least one consumer; assigning a credit level to a line of credit associated with a credit product for the at least one consumer wherein the credit product is accepted at an identified one or more merchants; assigning a financing charge to the line of credit; determining a discount rate based at least in part on the credit worthiness of the at least one consumer; and applying the discount rate when at least one transaction is made with the credit product; wherein the applied discount rate is adjusted based on the credit worthiness of the at least one consumer. | 03-18-2010 |
| 20100082416 | Subcred - A method and system for subscribing credit using subscribing credit plans wherein user choose a subscribing credit plan with a limited working life one to three years then apply for the service plan chosen. If approved subscriber is required to deposit up to ten percent of the service plan depending on the lender, pay an activation fee and or a monthly subscription fee in order to have access and use the credit amount applied for. There is no accruing interest on outstanding balance or deposit made to start an account. A lender may offer extra credit as a bonus in exchange to add interest on the outstanding bonus balance or it is subject to accrued interest, when part or whole bonus is used. Payment on outstanding balance over $50 is 2%-5% minimum, balance $50 and under is 25%-50% plus the subscribing fee. | 04-01-2010 |
| 20100088168 | ACCOUNT APPLICATION PRODUCT, ASSOCIATED PACKAGE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING AN ASSOCIATED APPLICATION - An account application product includes a package, an account identifier and a terms sheet. The package includes a first panel extending from a free edge to a first fold line, a second panel extending away from the first fold line to a second fold line, and a third panel extending away from the second fold line. The first panel is folded back along the first fold line toward a first surface of the second panel to define a storage area between the first panel and the second panel. The third panel is folded forward along the second fold line toward a second surface of the second panel. The account identifier indicates an account associated with the account application product and is configured to be machine readable. The terms sheet is selectively stored in the storage area and includes printed terms for the account. Associated packages and method are also disclosed. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100094697 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR BANKING - An online banking system and method for a financial institution is provided where a savings account and a spending account is provided for a customer of the financial institution. The customer of the financial institution can receive a discount on one or more goods from an entity other than the financial institution based on one or more criteria provided by the financial institution, such as the value of the savings account. The goods from the entity can be purchased from funds in the spending account, and the amount of the discount can be credited to the savings account. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100094698 | METHOD OF CONDUCTING A TRANSACTION THAT RESULTS IN CUSTOMER REWARDS - A general purpose transaction card is provided that offers an attractive incentive to customers to encourage the use of a general purpose transaction card. The general purpose transaction card is offered in connection with a co-branded loyalty program whereby a percentage of a total purchase made at one vendor is deposited into an account maintained at another vendor. More specifically, in a preferred embodiment a grocery vendor deposits a percentage of a customer's total grocery purchase into a savings account held by that customer at a bank service provider. By offering a transaction method in accordance with the teachings of the present invention both of the vendors gain in the number of joint customers while deepening the relationship those customers have with both vendors. | 04-15-2010 |
| 20100106579 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING CONSUMER INCENTIVES BASED UPON POSITIVE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106580 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND/OR MAKING AWARDS BASED UPON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106581 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ENABLING REGISTRATION, DETERMINATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INCENTIVES - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106582 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING AND AFFECTING A CHANGE IN CONSUMER BEHAVIOR - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106583 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REWARDING POSITIVE CONSUMER BEHAVIOR USING LOYALTY POINT ADVANCES - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106584 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REWARDING A CONSUMER BASED UPON POSITIVE BEHAVIOR OF A GROUP - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100106585 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR EVALUATING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND OFFERING INCENTIVES BASED UPON LIMITED USE IDENTIFIER TRANSACTIONS - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 04-29-2010 |
| 20100114686 | REAL-TIME STATEMENT CREDITS AND NOTIFICATIONS - One embodiment of the invention is directed to a server computer comprising a processor and a computer readable medium coupled to the processor. The computer readable medium comprises code for receiving transaction data indicating that a payment transaction associated with a primary account number has occurred and matches a trigger record, code for determining whether the payment transaction qualifies for a credit, code for initiating a credit to an account associated with the primary account number, if the payment transaction qualifies for a credit, and code for sending an electronic notification message to a consumer associated with the primary account number substantially contemporaneously with receiving the transaction data. The electronic notification message includes information about a first offer and that the primary account was credited the amount of the first offer. For example, transaction data is received indicating that a consumer made a purchase with his credit card. If the purchase was in accordance with a previously sent offer, the consumer's account associated with the credit card is credited and the consumer is immediately notified that the account was credited. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100153199 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EMULATING A PRIVATE LABEL OVER AN OPEN NETWORK - According to one embodiment, the present invention relates to a method and a system for emulating a private label network over an open network where settlement occurs at varying discount rates with one or more merchants or providers. A computer implemented method and system for settling a transaction at a discount rate may include receiving an authorization record for the transaction initiated by a customer over an open payment network; identifying payment plan data associated with a transaction; creating a settlement record based at least in part on the authorization record and the payment plan data; determining a discount rate for the settlement record; and settling with a provider for the transaction at the discount rate. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100153200 | PAY YOURSELF FIRST WITH AUTOMATED DATA INPUT - The system encourages users to not only pay themselves first, but to pay themselves first in the largest amounts possible, even if they are not able to fully pay outstanding debts. The system obtains information related to the user's income, income sources, user's debts (e.g., bills) and user's goals. The system provides recommendations related to the prioritization of paying certain bills and the amount to pay for each bill based upon, for example, savings goals, minimizing penalties/fees associated with user's debts, minimum amounts due, due dates and available income. The system and/or the user may then determine a payment hierarchy which includes transferring funds to the user's savings account prior to paying all or a portion of certain bills, wherein the transfer of funds may include different funds transfer systems and methods. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100169170 | MERCHANT OFFER PROGRAM - A value of an incentive in a loyalty program is debited from a funding balance and credited to an account used in a transaction that qualifies for the incentive. A computing device receives a plurality of transactions upon accounts issued to account holders by corresponding issuers. After the transactions that qualify for the incentive are cleared and settled, funds matching the value of the incentive is transferred from a funding balance of the sponsor of the incentive to the account used in the qualified transaction. The issuer's interchange fee remains intact after the credit is applied. | 07-01-2010 |
| 20100205053 | HTTP TRIGGER FOR OUT-OF-PROTOCOL ACTION - A hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request is used to actuate a secondary communications protocol (e.g., Short Message Service). A server receiving the request may be configured to take actions not specified by the URL associated with the request in response to the characters encoded in the request, such as accessing a secondary communications protocol. The server parses the request to identify action codes and/or content in the request itself, and takes action based on the code or content value. A token code representing a value or fixed number of uses may be utilized in connection with the techniques disclosed herein. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100205054 | CONTINGENCY-BASED ELECTRONIC AUDITING - Transaction auditing involving the provision of payment from a third-party to a transaction party is facilitated. In accordance with one or more example embodiments, a transaction auditing approach involves processing payment from a third party to one of a buyer and seller involved in a transaction to which the third-party payment is applicable. When an auditing criterion is met, such as when the buyer and seller agree to contract terms or when the buyer pays the seller, payment from the third party is authorized and processed based on the authorization. | 08-12-2010 |
| 20100211445 | INCENTIVES ASSOCIATED WITH LINKED FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS - A set of accounts usable for cashless transactions are electronically linked together. The accounts in the set may be associated with different accountholders, issuers, financial institutions, transaction handlers, or combinations thereof. A stakeholder sets up rules that govern, in part, processing of cashless transactions upon the accounts in the set. The rules alter routing of the cashless transaction from one account to another in the set. Loyalty features are determined accordingly. In one implementation, the rule alters the routing of the cashless transaction to optimize a loyalty feature. Amounts spent in transactions upon the accounts in the account set may be tracked, analyzed or reported on to create targeted offers. Fulfillment of the targeted offers may be conditioned on validating that the actual spend upon the accounts in the set match a predetermined threshold. | 08-19-2010 |
| 20100241502 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROCESSING CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS - Systems and methods are disclosed whereby credit and debit card transactions are processed at a merchant point-of-sale terminal in a manner that provides customers the opportunity to receive one or more charge enhancement offers which are presented to the customer on a record of charge. | 09-23-2010 |
| 20100250354 | SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS FOR INCENTIVE-BASED TRANSACTIONS - Disclosed are systems, methods and devices, including a method that includes processing a card configured to maintain data identifying one or more of a user and at least one organization, the card also configured to enable access to a plurality of accounts of stored values, each account associated with retailers at which the user may apply the value of the corresponding account to make purchases at the respective one or more associated retailers. The method also includes, in response to making a purchase at a first retailer, determining a cash-back amount based on, for example, the identity of the user and the at least one organization, and adding the determined cash-back amount to an account from the plurality of accounts determined to be associated with the first retailer, the total in the account being available to pay for subsequent purchases at retailers associated with the account. | 09-30-2010 |
| 20100268587 | STOREFRONT PURCHASES UTILIZING NON-NEGOTIABLE CREDITS EARNED FROM A GAME OF CHANCE - Entertainment credits from a game of chance can be identified. The entertainment credits can be associated with an entity with which a user has previously interacted. The previous interactions can earning the entertainment credits, which are non-negotiable credits. Responsive to a user request, a conversion agency can convert a quantity of the entertainment credits to a quantity of negotiable funds, wherein the conversion agency is not directly associated with the entity. The user can be permitted to access the quantity of negotiable funds within a vender storefront physically proximate and distinctly independent of the entity, wherein the quantity of negotiable funds are able to be applied to user specified purchases within the storefront, wherein the vender does not honor the non-negotiable credits. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20100299195 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS - A payment processing system to provide merchant-specific accounts to consumers that are accessed by payment instruments. In one embodiment, the payment processing system can create and provide a variety of payment methodologies for purchases, such as pay-as-you-go, virtual prepaid, virtual subscription, and post-paid purchases. The merchant may, in some embodiments provide consumers with merchant rewards accounts and an opportunity to earn reward points or other loyalty-based currencies through qualifying purchase transactions. The consumer may access their merchant-specific accounts for purchase payment using a preferred payment instrument, such as a credit or debit card. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100312627 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FUNDS PROCESSING IN POSTAGE DISTRIBUTION ENVIRONMENTS - Provided herein are systems and methods for processing funds in distribution environments such as internet-based postage distribution environments. In exemplary embodiments, incentive programs are administered and managed within the system. These incentive programs can include discount programs, rebate programs and revenue sharing programs. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100318415 | System and method facilitating purchase of goods and services by pre-payment via a universal gift or other pre-paid card with incentives - A system and method for facilitating purchase of goods and services by pre-payment via a universal gift or other pre-paid card with incentives. The universal gift or other pre-paid card provides incentives to vendors and consumers that use it. It permits flexible purchase of goods and services by consumers. The consumers are recipients of the universal gift card from others or purchasers of the universal gift card who decide to use the card themselves. The universal gift card is usable at any one of a plurality of merchants who are designated and authorized by the system. The universal gift card permits purchase up to a specified amount, which must be paid by a consumer prior to its use. The specified amount is either maintained on the universal gift card itself or is maintained on a database associated with the system, which maintains associated accounts and controls its use. The universal gift card preferably has few restrictions (e.g. expiration date), if any, to facilitate ease of use by consumers. Among the incentives provided is the ability to designate preferences, such as provide a percentage of specified amounts to charitable donations and to reduce transaction costs that are often associated with payment methods other than use of hard physical currency. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20110004514 | PAY YOURSELF FIRST WITH REVENUE GENERATION - The system identifies a revenue producing opportunity for a user. The system obtains information related to the user's income, income sources, user's debts (e.g., bills) and user's goals. The system identifies a revenue producing opportunity for the user by matching user information with information regarding the opportunities. The system further provides recommendations related to the prioritization of paying certain bills and the amount to pay for each bill based upon, for example, savings goals, a community recommendation, minimizing penalties/fees associated with user's debts, minimum amounts due, due dates and available income. The system and/or the user may then determine a payment hierarchy which includes transferring funds to the user's savings account prior to paying all or a portion of certain bills, wherein the transfer of funds may include different funds transfer systems and methods. | 01-06-2011 |
| 20110010232 | MOBILE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES TO FACILITATE COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS - The present invention is directed to a method, implemented on an electronic communication network including a mobile telecommunications device, for providing financial incentives by associating the mobile telecommunications device with an incentive account; and messaging with the mobile telecommunications device in response to a predetermined trigger, with the messaging including information corresponding to a financial incentive provided through a financial account associated with the incentive account upon an occurrence of a desired commercial transaction satisfying predetermined criteria, and correlating information related to the financial account, incentive account, and occurrence of the desired commercial transaction, for further determination and action in awarding or withholding the financial incentive in accordance with the predetermined financial incentive criteria. Also disclosed is a system that operates in accordance with the method. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110010233 | Method of administering a reward scheme - A method of administering a rewards scheme, including the steps of: receiving a plurality of Electronic Extract Reports (EERs) corresponding to a plurality of eligible transactions, each eligible transaction being a purchase transaction effected using an electronic transaction terminal between a business member of the rewards scheme and a customer member of the rewards scheme; identifying from the EERs the business member and customer member party to each eligible transaction and a cash amount associated with the eligible transaction; obtaining a credit from the business member for a predetermined percentage of the cash amount of each eligible transaction; providing a first portion of the credit to the customer member party to the eligible transaction for which the credit was obtained; and using a second portion of the credit to fund advertisement in favor of the business member. | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110035268 | PAYMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM - The invention relates to a method of payment by a bearer to a merchant by virtue of a means of payment, characterized in that there is carried out by successive charges, for each product, good or service presented for purchase, a charge operating between several sources of financing, and consisting of a debit from one of the sources of financing or a transfer from one of these sources of financing; and in that, with each charge, data stored in the means of payment and/or in databases of a payment server are read, these data being accessible through a link to a central system or on a local replication, said data being used by the payment server to select and then collate charging and checking rules, defined, for each source of financing, by the bearer of the means of payment or by the financer with data dependent on the characteristics: of the good, of the product or of the service presented for purchase of the conditions of the purchase, comprising for example the data, material checks made at the time of purchase, options chosen by the purchaser as well as with data emanating from a database relating to the merchants and categories of products, goods or services. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20110040608 | Methods and Systems for an Improved Rewards Program - Systems and methods encourage customer loyalty by providing an enhanced rewards program. A customer with an account with an account provider may receive a reward (e.g., cash back) for activity with respect to the account. To encourage loyalty, the customer may be asked whether they wish to save the reward, and the saved reward may be enhanced based at least in part on subsequent activity with respect to the account (e.g., maintaining the account in good standing for a predetermined time). The customer may be awarded the enhanced reward once the conditions of the subsequent activity have been satisfied. In one example embodiment, a customer may receive cash back as a reward for a purchase. As an incentive to remain with the financial institution, the customer may decline to redeem the cash back, and the cash back amount may increase by a multiple after a predetermined time. | 02-17-2011 |
| 20110054990 | METHODS, SYSTEMS, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCTS FOR MOBILE NETWORK SUBSCRIBER INCENTIVE PROGRAMS - A number of reward programs can be offered to subscribers of a mobile network as an incentive to use fewer allocated resources, rather than more. For example, in some embodiments, a subscriber may elect to participate in a reward program wherein a portion of the unused resources are used to determine a monetary amount to be returned to the subscriber at, for example, the end of a year. In some embodiments, a subscriber may elect to participate in a reward program wherein a portion of the unused resources (such as unused minutes under their plan) are used to offset the costs of “green programs”, which may be implemented by the operator of the network. In other words, the subscribers can be encouraged to use fewer resources by allowing a portion of those unused resources (in the form of, for example, cash) to offset the cost of a program, which the subscriber believes provides some benefit. The reward programs offered may recognize any societal issue. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110060634 | ACTIVATION OF ELECTRONIC CUSTOMER BENEFIT OFFERS - Apparatus and methods for activation of electronic customer benefit offers are provided. Such apparatus and methods may include a system for activating a customer benefit offer. The system may include an electromagnetic transmitter module configured to transmit customer benefit offer information from an offer platform to a customer via a communication channel selected by the customer. The customer benefit offer information may correspond to the customer benefit offer. The system may also include an electromagnetic receiver module configured to receive from the customer an acknowledgment of the customer benefit offer. The system may also include a data processing machine configured to mark a record in an account on the offer platform as “active.” The record may correspond to the customer benefit offer and the account may correspond to the customer. The purchasing instrument identifier may be linked to the account. The active customer benefit offer may be redeemed by use of the purchasing instrument to purchase goods corresponding to the customer benefit offer. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110060635 | System and method for motivating healthy eating and a wellness plan related thereto - A method and system for promoting healthy eating and a managing a wellness program related thereto is disclosed. The method and system includes storing identity data in a database for foods and/or beverages that are determined to be healthy for an individual to consume; receiving purchase information including information for such food and/or beverages and calculating a discount or a refund or reward applicable for the purchase of the product if the at least one food and/or beverage purchased is identified in the identity data. This system and method may optionally be integrated with a wellness program that includes obtaining personal information pertaining to an individual, the personal information including at least the individual's age and gender. In addition, health information pertaining to the individual is obtained. The personal information and the health information are then used to determine a wellness program for the individual, the wellness program including a plurality of program areas with which the individual must comply. Information is then received regarding the individual's compliance or non-compliance with the individual's wellness program and points are awarded to the individual for compliance with the wellness program. At predetermined intervals the total number of points awarded to the individual are calculated and a reward is awarded to the individual based on the total number of points accumulated. | 03-10-2011 |
| 20110066483 | REBATE AUTOMATION - A computer receives information that a request is made to authorize a transaction for a sale of a product by a merchant to an account holder in a transaction conducted on a consumer account issued to the account holder. When the computer confirms that the transaction is authorized and that the transaction occurs within a predetermined time period for which there is a rebate associated with the product and a corresponding sponsor financially responsible for the rebate, the computer communicates that the rebate is to be debited to an account of the sponsor and either: (i) given as a discount by the merchant at the point of sale to the account holder; or (ii) credited to an account issued to the account holder by the issuer. | 03-17-2011 |
| 20110071892 | CONTROL SYSTEM ARRANGEMENTS AND METHODS FOR DISPARATE NETWORK SYSTEMS - Electronic transaction data sets are processed for a multitude of disparate transactions using a plurality of autonomous payment networks. Consistent with one example system, a software-programmed computer type system receives and processes point-of-sale transaction data to select one of the payment networks associated with a participant ID (e.g., for a buyer or seller) in the transaction data. The system includes a plurality of network-specific interface modules, each associated with a specific payment network for interfacing therewith. For point-of-sale transaction data, the interface module corresponding to the selected payment network communicates payment data to the selected payment network to effect electronic payment for the point-of-sale transaction data. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110082731 | Targeted, Deferred Redemption Coupon System - A system for avoiding fraud in the distribution and redemption of coupons is presented. A coupon is targeted to a particular customer and has a customer identifier which maps the coupon to the customer in some way. The coupon provides for two redemptions, an initial redemption for a nominal amount, including zero, and a deferred redemption which provides an incentive for redeeming the coupon. Upon purchasing an item or engaging in an activity urged by the coupon, the coupon is initially redeemed. After the redeemed coupon is validated and cleared, the customer identified through the customer identifier, is rewarded by the deferred redemption amount. Fraud is not rewarded since the initial redemption amount provides for little or no compensation. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110082732 | Cost return economics patronage incentive future benefits system providing cost return goods and services and method and apparatus thereof - A cost return economics future patronage incentive benefits system provides economic transactions or other transactions that from a smaller amount return as a benefit the entire amount of the transaction or greater to any entity or individual or purchaser or seller and or other party, incorporating cost return goods and services and providing the funding of the future benefit total consumer cost return expenditure utilizing an extendable time component to adjust the future payout date through the needed funding period and a system and means to include or not include a commission to purchaser, seller or other party. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110082733 | METHOD AND SYSTEM OF OFFERING AN ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE BANK ACCOUNT - A method and system is provided whereby a customer either establishes a new account or converts their existing account into a program that maximizes the use of online bill payment, electronic statements and paperless charge transactions in exchange for reward payments. In accordance with the method and system, customers establishing or transferring to the program are provided with an electronic transaction card formed from 100% recycled plastic material, on-line banking and an electronic monthly statement thereby eliminating all of the paper associated with the management side of the account. Then customers who enroll receive an incentive for each and every payment or transaction that they complete without using paper. | 04-07-2011 |
| 20110087530 | Systems and Methods to Provide Loyalty Programs - In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler to process transactions; a portal to receive from users enrollment input identifying account identifiers of the users and respective loyalty programs; and a data warehouse to store data associating the account identifiers with the respective loyalty programs. In response to an authorization request received in the transaction handler for a payment transaction identifying a first account identifier, the computing apparatus is to use the data warehouse to determine whether the first account identifier is enrolled with a loyalty program; and if the first account identifier is enrolled with a first loyalty program, the computing apparatus is to use the transaction handler to request purchase details from the merchant via a response to the authorization request, and determine benefits to be awarded to the user of the first account identifier. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110087531 | Systems and Methods to Aggregate Demand - In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a data warehouse to store data associating a plurality of account identifiers with an offer having a predefined purchase requirement and an aggregated purchase requirement for a benefit; and a transaction handler configured to process a plurality of transactions. The transaction handler is further configured to determine whether each of the plurality of transactions satisfies a predefined purchase requirement, identify a set of transactions each satisfying the predefined purchase requirement, and determine whether the set of transactions satisfies an aggregated purchase requirement for the benefit. In one example, the transaction handler is configured to provide the benefit via statement credits when the set of transactions satisfies the aggregated purchase requirement. | 04-14-2011 |
| 20110106602 | System for Incentivizing Financial Account Users - A system to incentivize financial account holders, such as a checking account, by providing a cash bonus for certain activities in the financial account, including certain deposits, electronic payments, debit card purchases, and receiving an electronic statement (instead of paper statements). The cash bonus is calculated on the current time period, for example monthly and credited to the financial account at the end of such current time period. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110119120 | Loyalty reward program for reducing the balance of a loan obligation - A method and apparatus for reducing the balance of a consumer or educational loan obligation using a loyalty reward program is disclosed. Loan obligors can reduce the balances of their loan obligations by purchasing consumer goods and services that they would normally purchase. The method essentially comprises the steps of (a) establishing a site on a global computer network; (b) recognizing at least certain users of the site; (c) directing the recognized users to merchants; (d) enabling accumulation of loyalty points by the recognized users based upon purchases from the merchants; (e) monitoring the purchases by the recognized users from the merchants; (f) tracking the accumulated loyalty points; and (g) permitting selective redemption of the accumulated loyalty points. Users of the site are recognized by requiring them to provide initial registration information. Accumulated loyalty points may be categorized with a status of “pending” or a status of “earned.” Selective redemption of the accumulated loyalty points includes selective application of earned loyalty points to a loan of a recognized user to permit repayment of the loan, or selective transfer of earned loyalty points from one recognized user to another recognized user. Information about accumulated, redeemed, and transferred loyalty points may be displaying to a recognized user. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110125564 | ACCOUNT LEVEL LIQUIDITY SURCHARGE DETERMINATION - Methods, computer readable media, and apparatuses for measuring, calculating, analyzing, and using account level profitability metrics are presented. Various statistics may be collected and compiled into a table, and profitability of one or more financial accounts may be determined at the account level. A prediction model may be created and used to determine the probability of an early balance payoff. An account-level liquidity surcharge may be imposed in anticipation of or as a result of an early balance payoff. Financial accounts may be classified on a variety of bases, and the results may be presented in a report. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110125565 | Systems and Methods for Multi-Channel Offer Redemption - In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording transactions processed at the transaction handler and to store account data identifying an account of the user, and a portal to receive a user selection of a first portion of an advertisement and, in response, to present a user interface. The advertisement provides an offer and includes a second portion which when selected directs the user to a website of an advertiser. The data warehouse is to store data associating the offer with the account data of the user in response to a request made in the user interface. The system is to monitor transactions processed at the transaction handler to identify a purchase paid via the account and eligible for the redemption of the offer. The transaction handler is to provide statement credits to the user, if the payment transaction is identified. | 05-26-2011 |
| 20110131086 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR ADJUSTING ACCOUNT TERMS BASED ON PURCHASE TRANSACTION INFORMATION - Systems and methods are disclosed for providing a financial account. The disclosed systems and methods may include providing a financial account offer to a customer. The disclosed systems and methods may also include receiving en acceptance of the offer, providing the financial account, setting an account variable equal to a first account value, and monitoring the financial account. The monitoring may further comprise resetting the account variable equal to a second account value when a number of purchase transactions corresponding to a currently monitored time period are less than a threshold value. Furthermore, the account variable may be reset equal to a third account value when the number of purchase transactions corresponding to the currently monitored time period are greater than or equal to the threshold value and a number of purchase transactions corresponding to the previous time period were less than the threshold value. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110137716 | Methods for Providing Digital Incentives Including a Digital Incentives Switch for Matching Transactions and Incentives - Systems and methods for providing digital incentives or financial offsets including the steps of: providing a financial platform operable on a server computer and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions; providing a database of profile data for the at least one user; developing a digital incentive program for stimulating financial transactions by at least one user, the digital incentive program including profile factors from the profile data of the at least one user; automatically providing at least one digital incentive to corresponding of the at least one user, the at least one digital incentive available for a redemption by each of the users, wherein the digital incentive has an electronic financial transaction value available for the redemption on any electronic financial transaction media, and wherein the redemption of the electronic financial transaction value of the digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transactions. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110137717 | System for Providing Digital Incentives Including a Digital Incentives Switch for Matching Transactions and Incentives - Systems for providing digital incentives or financial offsets including a financial platform operable on web-based platform including a server computer and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions; providing a database of profile data for the at least one user; a digital incentive program for stimulating financial transactions by at least one user, the digital incentive program including profile factors from the profile data of the at least one user; at least one electronic digital incentive being automatically offered to at least one user, the at least one digital incentive available for a redemption by each of the users, wherein the digital incentive has an electronic financial transaction value available for the redemption on any electronic financial transaction media, and wherein the redemption of the electronic financial transaction value of the digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transactions. | 06-09-2011 |
| 20110145046 | REWARD SYSTEM FOR DISTRIBUTION OF ADVERTISEMENTS - An advertiser distributes advertisements to a consumer. Subsequently, a computing system associated with the advertiser receives reward requests from the consumers when the consumers have consumed the advertisements and from participating merchants when the consumers perform transactions with the participating merchants. In response to receiving the reward requests, monetary rewards are credited to rewards accounts. The rewards accounts exclusively contain money from monetary rewards credited to the rewards accounts by the advertiser. The consumers are able to use money in the rewards accounts for purchases from participating merchants and non-participating merchants. By providing monetary rewards for consuming advertisements, the consumer is incentivized to consume the advertisements. In other words, the consumer is able to build a balance in the rewards account by consuming advertisements. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110145047 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR APPLYING CREDITS FROM THIRD PARTIES FOR REDEMPTION AT MEMBER RETAILERS - According to one embodiment of the invention, an electronic device is adapted to receive and upload digital credits for later application as part of payment for purchases at particular retailer. The electronic device comprises a memory to store an incoming credit email message, and a processor that, in response to receipt of the credit email message and selection of a link contained on the credit email message, establishes communication with a storage area remote from the electronic device in order to upload a digital credit into an account of a registered user using the electronic device. The storage area is accessible by a plurality of retailers to allow the retailers, when the registered user of the electronic device is present at the retailer, to fetch and apply the digital credit to purchases at the retailer. | 06-16-2011 |
| 20110161149 | System and Method for Managing Promotional Offers Using a Communications Platform - A system and method for managing, distributing, and processing promotional offers is provided. The system includes at least one consumer interface that enables communication between the promotional offer processing system and a plurality of consumers; a consumer information database for storing consumer data for a plurality of consumer profiles; an offer catalog having a plurality of offers; a product catalog having product codes corresponding to products associated with each of the accepted offers; and an offer management module. The offer management module is configured to identify one or more of the plurality of offers to be provided to a consumer; cause the identified offers to be transmitted to the consumer; receive an indication from the consumer that the first consumer has accepted at least one of the provided offers; identify product codes corresponding to products associated with each of the accepted offers; provide the identified product codes to a transaction management system; receive information identifying whether any of the identified product codes were contained in consumer purchase transactions; and process each accepted offer for which the consumer has met the terms for the offer. | 06-30-2011 |
| 20110166920 | FINANCIAL CHARGE REBATE - Aspects of the disclosure relate to assisting credit account holders during economic hardship. More specifically, aspects of the disclosure relate to systems and methods for providing a rebate of at least a portion of a finance charge applied to a credit account. Unlike certain prior art systems and methods, embodiments disclosed herein may benefit both the credit account holder as well as the financial institution that extends the credit account. In one embodiment, it may be determined that several credit accounts meet a threshold of probability of having a charge-off. In certain embodiments, the number of accounts that receive a rebate may be limited to a certain percentage of credit accounts with a non-zero balance. | 07-07-2011 |
| 20110173058 | Consumer credit circuit - The present invention provides a system that is wholly compatible with money and is usable for providing liquidity in a marketplace. The management system of the present invention uses standardized value claims in an administrative process to provide a source for settlement of obligations between parties and to extend the period in which cash is needed as a tool for commerce. This means of exchange can be established and used to introduce tools to have the circulation inside the management system or region optimized. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110178856 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SHARING WITH REGISTERED USERS REVENUE GENERATED BY ADVERTISEMENTS DISPLAYED WITH CONTENT - Systems and methods for sharing advertisement payment revenues with users of a search engine, as well as other user content recipients are disclosed. A user's general profile is established by tracking usage of the system by the user. The user general profiles are used to better target advertisements and enhance suitability of search results. User participation in establishing a comprehensive profile is encouraged by providing monetary or other types of incentives based upon a user's search engine usage and responses to served advertisements. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20110191155 | METHOD AND SYSTEM USING WILDCARD VALUES - A method of processing data on a server computer is disclosed. The method includes receiving data at the server computer, the data including a first data string including one or more wildcard values. The first data string is specifically associated with a customer, and the one or more wildcard values are associated with the purchase transaction. The method also includes comparing the first data string to a second data string by the server computer, and providing an output to the consumer based on the comparison. | 08-04-2011 |
| 20110208573 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A DISCOUNT - In particular, systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a virtual currency. Inventive systems and methods offer a high perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in virtual currency by an end-user of an inventive system. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency. | 08-25-2011 |
| 20110213647 | System and method for facilitating commercial transactions - An electronic fund transfer system that provides vital marketing information to participating merchants and purchasing records to customers while offering the most efficient and effective system to deliver the best terms and conditions for the products and services requested by customers. The system includes an electronic funds transfer card that can be used as a debit or charge card to purchase goods and services. At checkout, the system operates invisibly to the consumer and the cashier. Approval of the transaction operates similarly to a conventional debit card or credit card. All discounts are managed by the data clearinghouse which receives consumer data and merchant data. The clearinghouse communicates with the financial institution and forwards a statement which displays the accumulated discounts to the consumer. | 09-01-2011 |
| 20110231235 | Merchant Configured Advertised Incentives Funded Through Statement Credits - An advertised incentive system receives advertised incentive configuration information provided by a merchant. The advertised incentive configuration information defines the content of advertised incentive banners. The advertised incentive banners are provided as needed to merchants to display on the merchant's website. Advertised incentive registration information is received from an account holder after the account holder interacts with the advertised incentive banner. Transaction information is received that contains a qualified purchase made by the account holder. The advertised incentive registration and the qualified purchase are matched. A statement credit is issued against the account holder's account and a debit is issued against the merchant's account in the amount of the statement credit. | 09-22-2011 |
| 20110238469 | Method and Systems for Providing Digital Incentives Using Post-Transaction Data - Systems and methods for automatically providing digital incentives post-settlement or post-transaction for electronic payment card accounts at the financial institution level. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110238470 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A DISCOUNT - In particular, systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a virtual currency. Inventive systems and methods offer a high perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in virtual currency by an end-user of an inventive system. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency. | 09-29-2011 |
| 20110246272 | MERCHANT-BASED COMMUNITY REWARDS - Embodiments of the invention provide methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for providing community rewards. For example, systems and methods are provided for: (1) accessing transaction data associated with a particular financial institution; (2) determining a threshold; (3) identifying from the transaction data a group of transactions associated with a predefined community and time period; (4) aggregating a particular aspect of the group of transactions associated with the predefined community to determine a community total; and (5) determining that a reward should be provided to the community based on a comparison of the community total and the threshold. In some embodiments, the predefined community is defined at least in part by a particular one or more merchants. | 10-06-2011 |
| 20110264496 | MUTUALLY SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL NETWORKING AND ONLINE ADVERTISING - Embodiments of the present disclosure are related to methods, apparatuses, and articles associated with mutually supportive social networking and online advertising. In embodiments, a method may include facilitating a user of a social network in interacting with social media contributed by other users. The user's interaction may be monitored, and the user may be credited with participation credits. The method may further include facilitating setting up a product sample offering program on the social network, by an online advertiser, to offer samples of a product for redemption by users of the social network, using participation credits, and administering the product sample offering program accordingly. Other embodiments may be described and claimed. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110264497 | Systems and Methods to Transfer Tax Credits - In one aspect, a computing apparatus includes: a transaction handler configured to process payment transactions between issuer processors on behalf of account holders and acquirer processors on behalf of merchants; a data warehouse configured to store transaction data recording the payment transactions; a gateway to register structured personal financial assessments of account holders; and a matching engine configured to identify, based at least in part on the transaction data and the structured personal financial assessments, users who are in need of tax credits from a plurality of suppliers. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110264498 | METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROCESSING AND DISPLAYING CONTENT - Methods and systems are described for processing and display content. Web page data for a first web page is received from a remote system, wherein the web page is to be displayed on a terminal associated with a user. An automatic identification is performed of a first content in the first web page data. A user-defined profile is accessed. A second content is automatically selected based at least in part on the user profile. The first content is replaced with the second content so that if the first web page is displayed on the terminal associated with the user, the second content is displayed and the first content is not displayed. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110270657 | Redeeming Affinity Rewards As Political Contributions - Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the redemption of affinity reward points as political contributions are disclosed. In an aspect, “points” or “miles” created through various existing affinity programs prevalent in the credit card and airline industries can be redeemed as political donations. Typically, such reward, award or bonus “points” or “miles” have been redeemed for free or discounted rewards such as airline tickets, hotel room stays, restaurant vouchers or other goods and services. However, millions of vested affinity points or miles are left unused (i.e., unredeemed). The present invention allows a consumer who holds such points or miles to link to a political campaign, political party or political action committee allowing excess points to be converted into cash donations to such political campaigns, political parties or political action committees. | 11-03-2011 |
| 20110276377 | Communication system and method for narrowcasting - A communication system with client devices in communication with at least one communication network. User data stores are also in communication with the communications network and store user data of users using respective ones of the client devices. Offer data stores also in communication with the communications network store offers from merchants. A narrowcasting engine includes an active data gathering module to collect the user data, and an active learning module to generate a user profile based on the user data. The communication engine selects dynamically offers from the offer data store based on the profile, and communicates the selected offers in the offer data store to the users. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110276378 | MOBILE COUPON ANALYSIS SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Methods and systems are described for issuing and settling electronic coupons. A financial service host may receive authorization and settlement information, wherein the authorization and settlement information comprises an account number of the consumer. The account number may be linked to an account of the consumer enrolled in an electronic coupon program. The methods and system may also include transmitting a notification to the consumer that indicates the electronic coupon has been redeemed. A monetary value associated with the electronic coupon may be debited from an account linked to the merchant, and the account of the consumer may be credited with the monetary value associated with the electronic coupon. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110276379 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A DISCOUNT - In particular, systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a partner-issued currency or a combination of virtual currency and partner-issued currency. Inventive systems and methods offer a high-perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. Further, systems and methods for providing a discount are described which impose little or no cost on the service or product provider. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in a combination of actual partner-issued currency, a combination of virtual currency and partner-issued currency or a combination of actual currency, virtual currency and partner-issued currency by an end-user of an inventive system. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the partner-issued currency or a combination of virtual currency and partner-issued currency since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the partner-issued currency or a combination of virtual currency and partner-issued currency. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110282723 | Methods for Implementing a Loyalty Program - A method of rewarding loyalty of a user may include providing a personal terminal to the user, detecting whether the personal terminal is within proximity of an interaction terminal, and based at least in part on the proximity of the personal terminal to the interaction terminal, providing a benefit to the user. | 11-17-2011 |
| 20110288918 | Systems and Methods for Redemption of Offers - In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to automate the redemption of offers, such as manufacturer coupons, which require the purchase of specific items identified in the offers for their redemption. The computing apparatus is to store offers in connection with accounts of users (e.g., credit cards, debit cards, prepaid cards). When the accounts are used to make purchases, the authorization response messages from the transaction handler may include indicators to request purchase details, if the corresponding accounts have associated offers pending for redemption. When the purchase details show that the users have made the purchases required for the redemption of the offers, the benefits of the offers are provided to the accounts of the users via statement credits. Optional email or mobile alerts may be provided to the users to report the automated redemption of the offers. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110302010 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING INCENTIVIZED BENEFITS IN A BROADBAND GATEWAY - Aspects of a method and system for providing incentivized benefits in a broadband gateway are provided. In this regard, credits may be added to a subscriber account associated with a broadband gateway based on input provided by a user of an electronic device in communication with the broadband gateway, and it may be determined whether to provide services and/or content via the broadband gateway based on a number of credits in the subscriber account. The input may comprise, for example, feedback regarding content consumed via the broadband gateway, and responses to surveys, polls, or questionnaires presented via the broadband gateway. The broadband gateway may be operable to handle a plurality of physical layer connections to a corresponding plurality of network access service providers. The broadband gateway may be operable to communicate the user input to a provider associated with the subscriber account via one or more of the physical layer connections. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110302011 | Systems and Methods to Provide Messages in Real-Time with Transaction Processing - In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to generate trigger records for a transaction handler to identify authorization requests that satisfy the conditions specified in the trigger records, identify communication preferences of the users associated with the identified authorization requests, and use the communication preferences to target real-time messages at the users in parallel with the transaction handler providing responses to the respective authorization requests. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110302012 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REDEEMING COUPONS - A system and method for redeeming coupons including a base station providing a user redeemable coupon account for a user and a redeemable coupon feeding provider server coupled to the base station for delivering a redeemable coupon to the base station and into the account of the user. When the user presents a redeemable coupon for purchase of a product or service at a point of sale, such as a retailer, wholesaler or on-line merchant after verification by said base station that said coupon is associated with said retailer, wholesaler or on-line merchant and after verification by said retailer, wholesaler or on-line merchant that said coupon is associated with said purchase, the redeemed coupon is sent from said retailer, wholesaler or on-line merchant to the base station. Any suitable mobile-type payment, such as a debit or credit card, a Google wallet, a Visa Mobile payment, etc. may be used. The debit or credit card may be a prepaid card, a co-branded card, etc. The base station may be managed by an acquirer/processor or a financial institution and the system and method herein can be used with an on-line or brick and mortar retailer. | 12-08-2011 |
| 20110320251 | System And Method For Performing A Redemption Transaction On A Point Of Sale Terminal - A method and system for performing a redemption transaction at a point-of sale terminal. The cardholder initiates the transaction using a redemption card. The terminal obtains a transaction amount, a private currency, and an exchange rate. The transaction amount is converted into a transaction amount miles equivalent using the exchange rate, and the transaction amount miles equivalent is compared against the balance of the redemption account associated with the redemption card. The terminal transmits a clearing record for further processing. The clearing record is received by a clearing server, which identifies a lodged card associated with the transaction. The clearing server computes a periodic aggregate amount comprising the aggregate transaction amount for all transactions associated with the lodged card and a particular merchant during that period. The clearing server triggers a single transaction towards an acquirer associated with the merchant for the periodic aggregate amount. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120004964 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTION- AND MERCHANT-DRIVEN SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY MATCHING - A system and method for financial institution- and merchant-driven savings opportunity matching includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account, wherein the user's financial account is a financial institution account that is maintained on behalf of the user and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. A filter may be applied to a database of savings opportunities prior to matching one to the user based on the savings opportunity indication. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of a user's financial account. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120004965 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USER-DRIVEN SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY MATCHING - A system and method for user-driven savings opportunity matching includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account, wherein the user's financial account is a financial institution account that is maintained on behalf of the user and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. A savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities is matched to the user based on the savings opportunity indication. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of a user's financial account, and the user is allowed to interact with the savings opportunity. The interaction data may be used to drive a subsequent match of a savings opportunity. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120004966 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING REWARDS THROUGH A USER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT - A system and method for providing rewards through a user financial instrument includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account, wherein the user's financial account is a financial institution account that is maintained on behalf of the user and analyzing the transaction data to determine a reward level. The savings opportunity from the merchant may be matched to the user based on the reward level. The user is enabled to redeem the savings opportunity during a subsequent transaction with the merchant. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120004967 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A FUTURE REWARD THROUGH A USER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT - A system and method for providing a future reward through a user financial instrument includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account, wherein the user's financial account is a financial institution account that is maintained on behalf of the user and analyzing the transaction data to determine a future savings opportunity accessible to the user after completion of a goal. Systems and methods track progress towards completing the goal. The user is enabled to obtain the future savings opportunity when the goal is completed. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120004968 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SOCIALLY ENABLED REWARDS THROUGH A USER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT - A system and method for providing socially enabled rewards through a user financial instrument includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. A savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities is matched to the user based on the savings opportunity indication, wherein the savings opportunity can be shared with other users or a social network. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of a user's financial account and the user is allowed to share the savings opportunity, wherein sharing causes a shared savings opportunity to be generated. A second user, one who received the shared savings opportunity, can redeem the shared savings opportunity. The sharing and redemption of the shared savings opportunity is tracked, such as to improve targeting users who are influential based on the number of redemptions of the shared savings opportunity. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120004969 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A GEO-ENHANCED SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY IN ASSOCIATION WITH A FINANCIAL ACCOUNT - A system and method for providing a geo-enhanced savings opportunity in association with a financial account includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. A savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities is matched to the user based on the savings opportunity indication. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of a user's financial account. A response to the savings opportunity is tracked in order to receive an indication of whether or not the savings opportunity has been accepted. If it was not accepted, an additional incentive to accept the savings opportunity may be made when the user is in a geographic location set by a merchant offering the savings opportunity. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120004970 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY MATCHED TO A SPEND PATTERN IN ASSOCIATION WITH A FINANCIAL ACCOUNT - A system and method for providing a savings opportunity matched to a spend pattern in association with a financial account includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a spend pattern. A savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities is matched to the user based on the spend pattern. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of a user's financial account. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20120010932 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MATCHING A SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY USING CENSUS DATA - A system and method for matching a savings opportunity using census data includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. Third party census data related to a geographic location of the user may be used in addition to the savings opportunity indication to match a savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities to the user. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of the user's financial account. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120010933 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MATCHING A SAVINGS OPPORTUNITY USING THIRD PARTY DATA - A system and method for matching a savings opportunity using third party data includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. Third party data regarding the savings opportunity may be used in addition to the savings opportunity indication to match a savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities to the user. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of the user's financial account. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120010934 | SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING OFFERS USING A BILLING STATEMENT - A billing statement according to one aspect of the invention includes a description of a transaction and an offer pointer associated with the transaction, wherein the offer pointer includes information that may be used to review an offer. In one example of this aspect, a telephone number or a hyperlink is provided adjacent to a total amount owed listed on a statement (e.g., an electronically-displayed billing statement). The offers reviewed may be customized, for example, based on details of the transaction such as the product purchased or the amount of the purchase, the identity of the consumer, and/or on other data. | 01-12-2012 |
| 20120029989 | LET ME PAY: SYSTEM OF SPONSORSHIP THROUGH TARGETED ADVERTISEMENT - Let Me Pay is a system invented to help users find sponsors that would pay their bills. In exchange, the sponsors can send targeted advertisements to the users receiving their sponsorship. | 02-02-2012 |
| 20120035997 | CONSUMER OFFER REDEMPTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS - A computer-implemented offer redemption method includes the steps of: (a) storing information on a consumer and a payment account associated with the consumer in a computer storage system; (b) receiving activation of an offer from the consumer covering a product or service or a purchase from a retailer; (c) linking the offer to the consumer's payment account; (d) monitoring transactions in the consumer's payment account; and (e) when the consumer has purchased the product or service or made a purchase from the retailer covered by the linked offer using the consumer payment account, making payment for offer settlement to a payment processor managing the consumer's payment account to be credited to the consumer's payment account. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120035998 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR USING LOYALTY REWARDS AS CURRENCY - The present invention involves spending loyalty points over a computerized network to facilitate a transaction. With this system, a loyalty program participant is able to use an existing transaction card to purchase an item over a computerized network, while at the same time offsetting the cost of that transaction by converting loyalty points to a currency value credit and having the credit applied to the participant's financial transaction account. Currency credit from converted loyalty points may also be applied to stored value cards, online digital wallet accounts and the like. Further, currency credit may also be applied to other accounts to effect a gift or donation. | 02-09-2012 |
| 20120041808 | Mobile System and Method for Loyalty Currency Redemption - Systems and methods are disclosed for generating monetary currency using a mobile communications device for immediate use for the purchase of items, wherein the monetary currency comprises a credit instrument or a credit associated with a credit or debit card, the credit is valid for a defined period of time, and the credit is generated from converting non-monetary reward currency into monetary currency. The system and method are implemented by accessing a currency software module operating on the mobile communications device, which facilitates account log-in, entry of an item purchase amount and user selection of a loyalty program from which non-monetary currency can be redeemed and converted to monetary currency. The mobile communications device receives the credit from a payment provider server, typically via a currency server. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120041809 | METHOD FOR INTEGRATING ONLINE AND OFFLINE VIRTUAL MONEY WITH AN ELECTRONIC GIFT CERTIFICATE, AND SYSTEM FOR SAME - The present invention relates a method for integrating on-line and off-line virtual currency into electric gift certificates. The present invention includes a step of receiving an identifying ID and an identifying authentication number of a business member providing virtual currency, and a reference denomination value of the virtual currency, a step of generating an electric gift certificate having the reference denomination value of the virtual currency, a step of sending a unique identification number of the generated electric gift certificate, a step of receiving a identification number of an owner to whom the electric gift certificate is to be sent, and a step of recording the identification number of the owner of the electric gift certificate and sending the generated electric gift certificate to the owner of the electric gift certificate. | 02-16-2012 |
| 20120059701 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FORFACILITATING A REWARDS PROGRAM INVOLVING MULTIPLE PAYMENTS ACCOUNTS - Systems and methods are provided for linking multiple payment card accounts to a single rewards program account which include associating, in a program management computer system, a first program identifier with the single rewards program account, associating, in the program management computer system, the first program identifier with a first payment card account, associating, in the program management computer system, the first program identifier to at least a second payment card account; and storing, in the program management computer system, at least a first set of reward program rules associated with the single reward program account, the first set of reward program rules specifying at least one of a reward conversion ratio and a promotion rule. Payment transactions conducted using the first and at least second payment card accounts earning a reward amount are associated with the single rewards program account and the first set of reward program rules are applied to the payment transactions. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120059702 | Systems and Methods to Rank and Select Triggers for Real-Time Offers - In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to receive an input specifying a set of users, identify a set of triggers, each of which corresponds to a set of one or more conditions which when satisfied cause transmission of a message to the set of users, rank the triggers based at least in part on transaction data of the users that was recorded by a transaction handler, and generate a ranked list of the triggers based on the ranking. | 03-08-2012 |
| 20120066041 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VIRTUAL TRANSFERRING OF GIFTS - Disclosed are methods and systems for offering virtual gifts to consumers. In some embodiments, the method includes offering a virtual gift to a purchaser. Upon electronic acceptance of the virtual gift by the purchaser, establishing or maintaining an association of the accepted virtual gift with at least one form of payment associated with the purchaser. Upon a purchaser's request to transfer the virtual gift to a recipient and electronic acceptance of the virtual gift by the recipient, establishing or maintaining an association of the accepted virtual gift with at least one form of payment associated with the recipient. Upon purchase of the subject matter of the accepted virtual gift with the form of payment associated with the recipient, electronically receiving a redemption of the accepted virtual gift. | 03-15-2012 |
| 20120072275 | COMPENSATED ELECTRONIC CONSULTS - The present invention relates to a system and method for providing health care information to health care providers and for obtaining information pertaining to the practice of a health care provider by providing incentives for provision of such information. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120072276 | Method, System and Apparatus for Multi-Platform Broadcast Marketing - An advertising social network grid system and method for enabling a user/advertiser to buy and schedule advertisement spots on multiple media-platforms in a cost efficient manner using an electronic device. The system includes a computer-implemented advertising network grid including a server with a database adapted to transmit and receive messages. The server is in communication with at least one broadcast network. Content entry means is included for entering advertisement content. Calendar means is provided for buying and scheduling at least one date and time for airing advertisement content. Region selection means is provided for selecting at least one region located within the broadcast network. Means for receiving and storing advertisement content is provided, and a central processor processes the advertising spot data and transmits it to the broadcast network for playing the advertising spot. | 03-22-2012 |
| 20120101882 | MULTI-ACCOUNT PAYMENT CONSOLIDATION SYSTEM - A multi-account payment consolidation system and process, comprising a payment terminal at a point-of-sale. A central computer system is operatively coupled to the payment terminal through a network connection, the central computer system including at least a processor, and memory comprising program instructions. The program instructions are executable by the processor to register a plurality of external financial accounts and associate them with a user, register at least one customized rule-set for processing a payment associated with the user, authenticate the user when the user logs in at the payment terminal, automatically process the payment in accordance with the customized rule-set by accessing the external financial accounts, and receive a payment confirmation from the external financial accounts for display to the user on the payment terminal. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120101883 | System and Method for Rewarding Smart Phone Users Personal Companion - A method of advertizing using a device called Personal Companion. The Personal Companion is a specially designed device or existing Smart Phone linked to cloud based servers via Communication Careers. The device and other enabling gadgets and services are distributed free of charge to members of the public in return for a continuous, uninterruptible flow of consented advertisements. Watching these adverts will typically result in compensation accruing to the user. Users may, however, opt to stop flow of ad, but may forfeit that compensation. The ad server distributes marketing data to the device based on it's physical location, amongst other factors. Preferably, the geographical coordinates of the navigation device are fed to the ad server, which then returns advertisements from businesses operating within those coordinates. The navigation device receives and outputs navigational or entertainment information, in conjunction with marketing data. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120101884 | REWARD SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ONLINE CREDIT AND DEBIT CARD TRANSACTIONS - A reward system and method including a card issuing institution that issues debit or credit cards to cardholders. Each cardholder has a cash back account set up by the institution and a cash back program rewards its cardholders with a cash value dependent on the cardholder's usage of the credit or debit card and depositing the cash value in the cardholder's cash back account. The institution provides the identity of a provider of goods or services to a user and each cardholder has online access to the provider so that the cardholder can purchase goods or services from the provider upon accumulation of a predetermined amount of cash in the cardholder's cash back program. The institution provides an online clearing program for receiving sales information from the provider when a purchase is made by a cardholder and debiting the cardholder's cash with the amount of the sales information. | 04-26-2012 |
| 20120109729 | SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A LOYALTY PROGRAM - Some embodiments include a method comprising detecting, by one or more banking servers, selection of an investment product, wherein the investment product pays interest according to terms of the investment product. The method can also include selling the investment product, wherein the selling includes: 1) receiving personal information about a purchaser of the investment product, wherein the personal information identifies a loyalty program account receiving, by the one or more banking servers, payment information indicating payment was received for the investment product, and 2) determining, by the one or more banking servers, an interest value for the investment product based on the terms of the investment product. The method can also include requesting transfer of loyalty currency into the loyalty program account, wherein the loyalty currency is valued at the interest value, and wherein the requesting transfer is performed by the one or more banking servers. | 05-03-2012 |
| 20120130785 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDEEMING REWARDS IN PAYMENT OF A TRANSACTION ACCOUNT - A transaction aggregator aggregates a plurality of transaction account charges for a user transaction account. The transaction charges are received from merchants for acquisitions made by a user. The user is offered an option to make at least a partial payment to the user transaction account by redeeming rewards from at least one user reward account associated with a rewards issuer. A reward redemption instruction is received from the user, the reward redemption instruction designating the redemption of rewards from at least one user reward account. The user reward account(s) designated by the user is caused to redeem the rewards by decreasing the rewards in the user reward account and conveying corresponding consideration to the transaction aggregator. A credit is provided on the user transaction account for an amount corresponding to the value of the rewards decreased in the user reward account(s). | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120130786 | SYSTEM, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR ISSUING AUTOMATIC PAYMENTS LINKED TRANSACTION ACCOUNT - An enrolling system verifies an enrollee, counter-offers a second transaction account in response to a decline of a first account, wherein the second transaction account includes more restrictions than a first transaction account, associates an enrollee's main and overdraft account, and issues a transaction account. Enrolling in the second transaction account may include enrolling in a second transaction account automatic payment program; and/or associating a demand deposit account to the second transaction account. The method may also include relaxing use restrictions of the transaction account based upon at least one of: receiving payment of a pre-selected amount, receiving payments over a pre-selected period, and receiving payment on or before a pre-selected date. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120130787 | Multi-Purse Prepaid Consumer Discount Card Systems and Methods - Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing a multi-purse consumer discount card. The systems and methods may use transaction data to provide one or more negotiated discount rates to a consumer. For example, an amount may be credited to a consumer's purse for a merchant based on that consumer's transaction volume for that merchant. | 05-24-2012 |
| 20120136704 | Systems and Methods to Reward User Interactions - In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler, a data warehouse to store transaction data recording transactions processed at the transaction handler and to store account data identifying an account of a user, and a portal to receive a user selection of a first portion of an advertisement announcing a reward. The portal is to track user interactions associated with the advertisement to determine whether the user is qualified for the reward. Upon a determination that the user has completed the user interactions for the reward, the transaction handler is to provide the reward to the account of the user via statement credit. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120136705 | CHARGING FEE BILLING METHOD, CHARGING FEE BILLING SYSTEM, CHARGING STAND DEVICE, AUTOMOBILE-MOUNTED CHARGING DEVICE - In a charging fee billing system according to the invention, a preferential card having preferential information stored thereon is issued, the preferential information allowing for an investor having borne costs required for power storage facilities for use in a commercial power system to receive a discount for electricity fees involved in the charging of an electric automobile. When charging is performed for an electric automobile that is equipped with a preferential card, a charging unit set up at a charging stand acquires preferential information from the preferential card. The charging unit bills a charging fee to which a preferential rate has been applied based on the preferential information acquired from the preferential card. | 05-31-2012 |
| 20120150599 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SELECTING A GIFT BASED ON A WEB PAGE CONTEXT - Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for processing gifts based on a web page context. A system practicing the method receives an indication that a giver has selected a user-selectable object on a web page, the selectable object being associated with a gift the giver desires to give to a recipient. The system presents to the giver a proposed gift based on a context of the web page. Upon giver confirmation of the gift for the recipient, the system establishes a policy such that when the recipient makes a qualifying purchase to buy the gift using a recipient account, wherein the recipient account exists prior to the giver confirmation, a gift amount is applied to the recipient account. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120166264 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS PROVIDING CUSTOMER REWARDS PROGRAMS - Systems and methods can provide customer rewards programs. Example embodiments can include a rewards program that includes: identifying a rewards program associated with a financial institution to reward a customer of the financial institution; and identifying at least one rewards rule associated with the rewards program that indicates at least one reward to be provided if multiple criteria are satisfied. Upon determining that the criteria are satisfied, a transaction can be generated to provide a reward for the customer. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120166265 | NETWORKED GAMING SYSTEM WITH STORED VALUE CARDS AND METHOD - Disclosed are gaming machines, gaming systems and methods including stored value cards. Networked gaming systems are described which include one or more gaming machines with a stored value card acceptor, casino and/or slot management systems with a stored value server for authenticating stored value cards, verifying stored value, and updating value associated with the stored value cards, and a kiosk system for issuing, validating, and accounting for value associated with updateable stored value cards. | 06-28-2012 |
| 20120179527 | METHOD OF DELIVERING EFFECTIVE MOBILE ADVERTISING - Provided herein is a method of delivering an advertisement to at least one mobile device which includes a software application that is operable on mobile devices. Also provided is a software interface that works in conjunction with the mobile software application. The software interface operates on a network server accessible to a computer network, such as the Internet. The method includes the step of defining a geographic location for delivery of the advertisements. The software interface then transmits the advertisement to at least one mobile device operating the mobile software application which is located within the geographic location. An incentive is then provided to the user of the mobile which has received the advertisement. The incentive may optionally comprise a monetary payment to the user of the mobile device. | 07-12-2012 |
| 20120185312 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS - A payment processing system to provide merchant-specific accounts to consumers that are accessed by payment instruments. In one embodiment, the payment processing system can create and provide a variety of payment methodologies for purchases, such as pay-as-you-go, virtual prepaid, virtual subscription, and post-paid purchases. The merchant may, in some embodiments provide consumers with merchant rewards accounts and an opportunity to earn reward points or other loyalty-based currencies through qualifying purchase transactions. The consumer may access their merchant-specific accounts for purchase payment using a preferred payment instrument, such as a credit or debit card. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120185313 | SYSTEM TO PROVIDE A POSTING PAYMENT AMOUNT AS A CREDIT FOR PURCHASES - Products and processes are provided in which information is received for a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site. A posting payment amount relating to the post is determined. The posting amount is provided as a credit for purchases. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120191517 | PREPAID VIRTUAL CARD - A method for issuing a virtual financial instrument is disclosed, the method comprising receiving user identification information, receiving balance information, generating a financial instrument having a balance indicated by the balance information for a user indicated by the identification information, and providing a notification to the user that the financial instrument has been generated. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120191518 | Apparatus And Method For Anonymously Presenting Targeted Advertisements And Desirable Media Content In Association With A Virtual Currency - An electronic advertising system anonymously directs the attention of a user to content provided by an advertiser, in exchange for subsequently permitting the same user to access otherwise restricted desirable content of another part. Such desirable content may include online entertainment media, digital video content, social media, news media, and other privileged services or data. The user accumulates points, or virtual currency, in exchange for viewing the advertisements of vendor affiliates of the present system. The user may then spend previously accumulated points, or virtual currency, in order to access desirable content of redeemer affiliates of the present system. The present system further facilitates financial transactions between the system operator, vendor affiliates, and redeemer affiliates, relative to the movement of virtual currency amongst the various parties. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120191519 | BILLING STATEMENT CUSTOMER ACQUISITION SYSTEM - Some described embodiments provide for selecting (e.g., by a server computer from a plurality of transaction records), a transaction record associated with a financial account of an account holder. In one example, the transaction record includes an indication of an amount due, by the account holder, for a previous purchase completed by the account holder with a first merchant. Some embodiments provide further for generating a billing statement for the account holder, the billing statement including an indication of the amount due by the account holder for the previous completed purchase and an indication of an acquisition offer, in which the acquisition offer comprises a promise from a second merchant to pay at least a portion of the amount due by the account holder, and transmitting the billing statement to the account holder. | 07-26-2012 |
| 20120203604 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING LOCATION BASED COUPON-LESS OFFERS TO REGISTERED CARD MEMBERS - The system provides location based coupon-less offers based upon a location of a card member (CM). A location of a CM may be determined based upon one or more of a travel itinerary, a GPS signal, a proximity of a mobile communication device to a cellular base station, and/or a zip code. An offer from a merchant registered to provide coupon-less offers may be transmitted to a mobile communication device based upon the location. An offer, once accepted by a CM, may be matched to a record of charge associated with a transaction account held by the CM. A credit may be applied to the CM's transaction account and a debit may be applied to a transaction account of the registered merchant. One or more offer categories and/or one or more offer category classes may be transmitted to the mobile communication device based upon the CM's location. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120203605 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR FACILITATING SECURE TRANSACTIONS - A system for secure transactions receives an authorization request from a mobile device, the mobile device having received the authorization request by scanning a QR code and/or other encoded data. The system processes the authorization request using one or more transaction accounts that are paired to the mobile device, and transmits a response indicating approval or denial of the authorization request. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120203606 | BILLING STATEMENT CUSTOMER ACQUISITION SYSTEM - Some described embodiments provide for selecting (e.g., by a server computer from a plurality of transaction records), a transaction record associated with a financial account of an account holder. In one example, the transaction record includes an indication of an amount due, by the account holder, for a previous purchase completed by the account holder with a first merchant. Some embodiments provide further for generating a billing statement for the account holder, the billing statement including an indication of the amount due by the account holder for the previous completed purchase and an indication of an acquisition offer, in which the acquisition offer comprises a promise from a second merchant to pay at least a portion of the amount due by the account holder, and transmitting the billing statement to the account holder. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120203607 | Commercial Credit Circuit - A system is compatible with money and is usable to settle debts and/or for providing liquidity in a marketplace. The system uses standardized claims on future payment in an administrative process to provide a source for settlement of obligations between parties and to extend the period in which cash is not needed as a tool for commerce. This means of exchange can be established and used to introduce tools to have the circulation of local purchasing power inside the management system or region optimized. Using computer and specific formulas and approach allows tagging monetary flows in order to optimize the use of its potentials. | 08-09-2012 |
| 20120209679 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING REAL-TIME REWARDS PROGRAM - A system and method are provided that automatically track the use of an instrument used in a financial transaction to determine if any rewards or discounts should be applied. The system and method of the present invention apply the reward or discounts in real-time as part of the transaction authorization process. | 08-16-2012 |
| 20120215605 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A USER WITH A SINGLE PAYMENT CARD ON WHICH PREPAID AND/OR REWARD BALANCES ARE TRACKED FOR MULTIPLE MERCHANTS - The system and method of present invention provides a user with a single account that separately tracks prepaid and/or reward balances from multiple merchants. Multiple merchant purses are associated with the user's account. Each purse corresponds to one merchant, and represents the user's credit balance with the merchant (e.g., prepaid deposits plus reward). The balance associated with each merchant purse is separately tracked. In one embodiment, each merchant purse is associated with its own set of rules for calculating a reward or otherwise managing the purse. When a user deposits prepaid money into a merchant purse, the system that manages the user's account executes any rules associated with the purse related to a deposit. If there is a rule associated with a rewards calculation, a reward amount is calculated in accordance with the rule and, if the reward is greater than zero, the merchant purse is credited with the reward. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120215606 | NON PRE-APPROVED CHANNEL FILTERING FOR CARD ACQUISITION - Information can be shared across a pre-approved (PA) channel and a non pre-approved (NPA) channel to reduce unnecessary offers of a transactional instrument or transactional instrument upgrade to prospects. All prospects listed in the NPA channel that have been evaluated in the PA channel may be removed from a NPA offeree list. This may be done by matching the NPA prospect list with a list of prospects who have been evaluated in the PA channel. The list of prospects evaluated in the PA channel may include, for example, prospects who were pre-approved for an offer as well as prospects who were considered for a pre-approved offer but who were denied the offer. Prospects in the NPA channel that are removed from the NPA offer list may be dropped from further NPA processing, as such prospects are either unprofitable or do not meet a transactional account company's standards for credit. | 08-23-2012 |
| 20120221388 | VALUE EXCHANGE OF CUSTOMER DATA - Embodiments of the invention are directed to methods and apparatuses for facilitating the value exchange of customer data. For example, one embodiment of the invention provides an online banking system that allows a customer to enter customer data, such as itemized transaction data or personal interest data, in return for incentives. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120221389 | System for Promotional Marketing - The present invention discloses a system and method for promotional marketing for a group of persons. The system includes an advertiser registration device, an advertiser validation device, a payment facilitation device, a deal creation device, a deal repository device, a matching device, a deal delivery device, a token redemption device and a tracking device The method includes the steps of facilitating the advertisers to create deals for the services by including advertisements, selecting channels for promotion, and setting demographic and geographic preferences, matching the deal preferences and the preferences of the users for effective promotion, delivering the deals to the users after matching the deal preferences and the user preferences using selected channels, enabling users to pay for the services in a cashless manner using tokens, and tracking the deals between users and advertisers. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120221390 | REAL ESTATE REWARDS PROGRAM AND METHODS OF IMPLEMENTING SAME - Implementing an incentive-based real estate program generally comprises: enabling a user to establish a user account on a network, the user account comprising data stored on a memory in a database at a remote server; enabling a real estate agent to establish a real estate agent account, the real estate agent account comprising data stored in the database; collecting real estate data from the user, the real estate data comprising user-specific interests in at least one real property, and storing the real estate data in the database; using a processor within the remote server to match the real estate data from the user with the real estate agent; monitoring a successful real estate transaction via data uploads from at least one of the user or the real estate agent; and providing credits to the user account, the credits holding a virtual currency value for redemption at a third party retailer. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120221391 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR E-MAIL BASED REWARDS - A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with an offer. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentives to customers, and notify customers of other available offers. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120221392 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING LOCATION BASED COUPON-LESS OFFERS TO REGISTERED CARD MEMBERS - The system provides location based coupon-less offers based upon a location of a card member (CM). A location of a CM may be determined based upon one or more of a travel itinerary, a GPS signal, a proximity of a mobile communication device to a cellular base station, and/or a zip code. An offer from a merchant registered to provide coupon-less offers may be transmitted to a mobile communication device based upon the location. An offer, once accepted by a CM, may be matched to a record of charge associated with a transaction account held by the CM. A credit may be applied to the CM's transaction account and a debit may be applied to a transaction account of the registered merchant. One or more offer categories and/or one or more offer category classes may be transmitted to the mobile communication device based upon the CM's location. | 08-30-2012 |
| 20120226534 | LOYALTY INCENTIVE PROGRAM USING TRANSACTION CARDS - A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The registered card processor receives a record for charge for a purchase made with an enrolled merchant by an enrolled card member customer and uses the record of charge to determine whether the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a discount offer from the enrolled merchant. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts to enrolled customers. | 09-06-2012 |
| 20120232973 | SYSTEM, METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR INCENTIVIZING SOCIAL COMMERCE - A system, apparatus and methods are described for maintaining sharing relationships in incentivized social commerce using an application server, a database server and a multimedia content distribution system. The application server includes a processor and an interface for communicating over a computer network and is operative to communicate to a database server storing tables for maintaining and earning incentives based on completed purchase transactions using one or more distributed web widgets. The multimedia content distribution system is executed on the processor of the application server and is operative to build and distribute web widgets over a computer network. The web widgets are distributed through sharing relationships in online social communities to stimulate social commerce from the sharing and purchasing of web widgets which provide access to multimedia content. | 09-13-2012 |
| 20120239473 | APPLYING REWARDS BASED ON NON-TRANSACTION EVENTS - A method for providing a customer-centric rewards platform configured to communicate to a customer information related to one or more rewards programs associated with one or more customer accounts includes initiating presentation, using a processing device, to the customer of the rewards platform comprising information related to one or more rewards programs associated with the customer, wherein each of the rewards programs is associated with at least one customer account, determining a non-account transaction event indicating one or more rewards should be applied to one or more rewards accounts has occurred, each of the one or more rewards accounts associated with one or more customer accounts, and crediting one or more rewards accounts with one or more rewards based at least in part on the occurrence of the non-account transaction event. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120239474 | PREPAID CARD REWARDS - In general terms, embodiments of the present invention relate to a prepaid card account that can accumulate rewards (e.g., points, miles, credits, bonuses, cash back, etc.). For example, in some embodiments, a method is provided that includes: (a) receiving transaction information associated with a transaction, where the transaction includes a transaction amount and involves a prepaid card account; (b) determining that the prepaid card account has a balance; (c) determining, based at least partially on the transaction information, that the transaction amount does not exceed the balance; (d) authorizing the transaction based at least partially on the determining that the transaction amount does not exceed the balance; (e) determining that the transaction is completed; and (f) attributing rewards to the prepaid card account based at least partially on the determining that the transaction is completed. Other embodiments provide a method that includes: (a) receiving funds from a holder of a prepaid card account; (b) increasing a balance of the prepaid card account based at least partially on receiving the funds; and (c) attributing rewards to the prepaid card account based at least partially on the holder loading the prepaid card account. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120239475 | CONSUMER OFFER REDEMPTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS - A computer-implemented offer redemption method includes the steps of: (a) storing information on a consumer and a payment account associated with the consumer in a computer storage system; (b) receiving activation of an offer from the consumer covering a product or service or a purchase from a retailer; (c) linking the offer to the consumer's payment account; (d) monitoring transactions in the consumer's payment account; and (e) when the consumer has purchased the product or service or made a purchase from the retailer covered by the linked offer using the consumer payment account, making payment for offer settlement to a payment processor managing the consumer's payment account to be credited to the consumer's payment account. | 09-20-2012 |
| 20120259685 | Systems and Methods for Managing Pre-Paid Transactions - Systems and methods for managing pre-paid transactions are provided. In one embodiment, a method for managing pre-paid transactions includes receiving a set of vendor settings from a first vendor in a plurality of vendors. The set of vendor settings includes an offer associated with a bonus definable by the first vendor. The method also includes receiving a deposit of funds for the first vendor from a consumer, determining whether the consumer qualifies for the offer from the first vendor, and crediting a consumer account associated with the consumer with the deposit of funds and the bonus in response to determining that the consumer qualifies for the offer from the first vendor. The deposit of funds and the bonus is spendable at the first vendor using a consumer card associated with the consumer account. | 10-11-2012 |
| 20120259686 | Management Of Advertisements, Electronic Commerce, And Consumer Services - A computer implemented method and system for managing advertisements, electronic commerce, and consumer services are provided. An advertisement management platform, provided for managing an advertisement distribution service, registers one or more consumers with the advertisement distribution service by creating a consumer profile comprising dynamic behavioral data for each of the consumers. The advertisement management platform targets advertisements to the registered consumers based on their dynamic behavioral data. The advertisement management platform engages the registered consumers with the targeted advertisements based on an advertisement engagement plan of the advertisement distribution service. The advertisement management platform provides the registered consumers with one or more incentives when a response to the targeted advertisements confirms consumption of the targeted advertisements. An electronic commerce management server is provided for managing the electronic commerce and consumer services. A mobile wallet application is provided to each of the registered consumers for electronically storing the incentives. | 10-11-2012 |
| 20120265592 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF SATISFYING A SHARED ADVERTISING OBLIGATION - A system and method for at least partially satisfying an advertising obligation is provided where a voucher is conveyed or sold to a consumer, the voucher is redeemed with a vendor, and the vendor further redeems the used voucher with an organizer in exchange for credit towards an advertising obligation. Aspects of the system and method are carried out online, with or without an intermediary on behalf of the organizer. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20120265593 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DETERMINING POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND/OR MAKING AWARDS BASED UPON GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION - The system evaluates a set of incentives based upon a variety of factors and/or predetermined rules and consumers are provided incentives when they satisfy one or more criteria of making payments for their transaction accounts. The one or more criteria include making an early payment, paying more than a minimum amount due, and making the payment through an automatic payment scheme. If a received payment satisfies one or more predefined criteria, one or more incentives are selected for the consumer, tracked, and provided to the consumer. The system analyzes payment information to determine attributes and positive (desirable) behavior and provides incentives to the consumer based on such positive behaviors. | 10-18-2012 |
| 20120271691 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE OFFER COMMUNICATIONS TO USERS VIA SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES - Systems and methods to integrate offer processing in a social networking environment. A computing apparatus includes: a data warehouse configured to store data associating a social networking account of a user with a financial payment account of the user; a portal configured to provide an offer to the user of the social networking account and to store data associating the offer with the financial payment account; a transaction handler configured to monitor transactions in the financial payment account of the user and detect a transaction that satisfies a set of requirements of the offer, when an authorization request for the transaction is being processed by the transaction handler; a message broker configured to generate a message in response to the transaction being detected; and a media controller coupled with the message broker to communicate the message to a social networking site. | 10-25-2012 |
| 20120278148 | Systems, Devices, and/or Methods for Managing Consumer Finances - According to an exemplary embodiment, the My Life Cost system and method includes a budgeting and business marketing software application that detects, tracts, stores and analyzes financial transactions of a member to provide financial incentives and influence consumer spending. The My Life Cost system and method monitor the amount of money, credit or budgeted category that a member has available to spend on specific merchandise and services. Still according to other exemplary examples, the My Life Cost method and system provides marketing services to qualified businesses on a commission basis without any required upfront costs or any additional advertising fees. In further exemplary embodiments, the My Life Cost system and method includes on-line reports or notifications to a communications device that may be customized for each member and for each participating merchant or business. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120278149 | Mortgage Matching System and Method - A computer-implemented method is disclosed for rewarding mortgage customers of a financial institution with a reward payment amount. The method includes providing enrollment in a mortgage matching system to eligible mortgage customers, wherein eligibility requirements include the requirement that eligible mortgage customers hold both a mortgage account and a checking account with the financial institution. The method additionally includes enabling the customer to make periodic mortgage payments from the checking account to the mortgage account and monitoring continued compliance with the eligibility requirements and submission of the periodic payments using a monitoring engine implemented by at least one computer processor. The method further includes determining a reward payment amount to be made by the financial institution to each complying mortgage customer using a fulfillment engine implemented by the at least one computer processor, wherein the reward payment amount is a predetermined percentage of principal and interest. | 11-01-2012 |
| 20120290375 | Multi-Consumer Classification and Automated Rewards-Based System - Approaches for reward based system for multiple consumers organized as a group. Group data and incentive data are stored. Group data identifies a group of users that have entered into an agreement to negotiate, as a single entity, with a seller for terms of a loyalty rewards program. Incentive data identifies a negotiated loyalty rewards program between the group and the seller. User profile data that identifies that the payment instrument is associated with the particular user may also be stored. Upon receiving payment data from a payment processor associated with a payment instrument of a particular user of the group, whether the particular user is entitled to receive a particular reward based upon (a) a purchase of the particular user identified in the payment data and (b) the negotiated loyalty rewards program is determined. The payment instrument may be credited with a monetary sum corresponding to the particular reward. | 11-15-2012 |
| 20120296719 | System and Method for Providing a Pre-Paid Rebate Card - A system and method for providing pre-paid rebate cards. A rebate offer may be provided to a consumer in relation to a particular purchase. The consumer may then submit a request for redemption of the rebate. A rebate processing center may validate the request for redemption from the consumer and notify a financial institution of the request. The financial institution may subsequently issue the pre-paid rebate card to the consumer. In the case of a reusable rebate card, the financial institution may subsequently add value in the amount of the rebate to a pre-existing reusable rebate card. The financial institution may further fulfill payment obligations upon consumer use of the pre-paid rebate card. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20120296720 | MOBILE REWARDS REDEMPTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - A mobile rewards real-time redemption system allows members of programs to use a mobile rewards redemption application via their mobile device to redeem currency or points. A ‘ghost’ credit/debit vehicle (account) is used to redeem the rewards currency or points. The ghost card completes the financial transaction which is, from the perspective of a redemption retailer, a conventional card transaction. | 11-22-2012 |
| 20120303430 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INTERNATIONAL COUPON-LESS DISCOUNTS - The systems and methods of the disclosure allow user from various countries to take advantage of offers when they are traveling internationally. Once the purchase associated with the offer is made, the transaction information may be processed by the system, such that, the credit and debit associated with the purchase are transmitted to the transaction account and the merchant. The transaction information may be further processed to determine whether the particular transaction is eligible for a reward. Where the transaction is eligible for a reward, the credit and debit associated with reward are transmitted to the transaction account and the sponsoring entity. The reward may be provided in any suitable currency or in various currencies based on the parameters governing the reward offer. | 11-29-2012 |
| 20120316944 | Transaction Processing Using a Global Unique Identifier - A Globally Unique IDentifier (GUID) is used to match an authorization request with an authorization response for a transaction between a merchant and a consumer upon an account within a payment processing system where the payment amount is unknown until after the merchant receives the authorization response that includes the GUID. After receiving the authorization response and when the payment amount is known, the merchant forms a transmission that has information for delivery to an issuer of the account. This information is sufficient for the issuer to forward the payment amount from the account to pay the merchant for the transaction. While including the GUID and the payment amount, the information does not include an identifier of the account. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120316945 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PREPAID REWARDS - A system and method provide rewards or loyalty incentives to card member customers. The system includes an enrolled card member customer database, an enrolled merchant database, a participating merchant offer database and a registered card processor. The enrolled card member customer database includes transaction accounts of card member customers enrolled in a loyalty incentive program. If the purchase qualifies for a rebate credit, the registered card processor provides the rebate credit to an account of the enrolled card member customer. The registered card processor also provides for electronic notification of rewards offers or credit to prepaid cards, in response to purchases conforming to a specific set of merchant criteria. The system provides a coupon-less way for merchants to provide incentive discounts and/or credits to enrolled customers, along with notifying customers of other available incentive offers. | 12-13-2012 |
| 20120323655 | FUNDRAISING SYSTEM - Systems and methods for an organization to raise funds via contributions by a merchant are described. In one example system, a supply of unique codes is associated with a respective merchant for distribution by each respective merchant to respective consumers. The system includes an administrative entity. The administrative entity includes a code database module configured to store at least one of the unique codes and a respective association, and a contribution database module configured to document a contribution responsive to receipt of the at least one of the unique codes. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120323656 | PERSONALIZED PURCHASE OFFERS BASED ON ITEM-LEVEL TRANSACTION DATA FROM MULTIPLE SOURCES - Example systems and methods of generating and providing personalized purchase offers based on item-level purchase data are presented. In one example, item-level purchase data from multiple sources for each of a plurality of users are aggregated. Offer data are received from offer providers. At least one user is selected to receive an offer targeted to the at least user based on the item-level purchase data and the offer data. The offer is transmitted to a communication device of the at least one user. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120323657 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING INTERNATIONAL COUPON-LESS DISCOUNTS - The systems and methods of the disclosure allow user from various countries to take advantage of offers when they are traveling internationally. Once the purchase associated with the offer is made, the transaction information may be processed by the system, such that, the credit and debit associated with the purchase are transmitted to the transaction account and the merchant. The transaction information may be further processed to determine whether the particular transaction is eligible for a reward. Where the transaction is eligible for a reward, the credit and debit associated with reward are transmitted to the transaction account and the sponsoring entity. The reward may be provided in any suitable currency or in various currencies based on the parameters governing the reward offer. | 12-20-2012 |
| 20120330737 | DISRUPTIVELY PRICED OR FREE FINANCIAL SERVICES OR ITEMS IN EXCHANGE FOR PARTICIPATION IN OPT IN ADVERTISING - Embodiments are directed to providing disruptively priced or free financial services or goods in exchange for participation in opt-in advertising. A user may opt-in to receive some form of advertising on his or her phone. The advertising may appear in a mobile wallet application used to pay for goods or services. The advertising may be related to products the user has previously purchased using the mobile wallet application. An electronic payment system that provides the mobile wallet application tracks and stores items that the user purchases using the mobile wallet. The electronic payment system then analyzes the user's purchasing habits to identify advertisements and/or promotions that may be of interest to the user. The promotions (such as coupons) may then be sent to the user's mobile wallet application and applied automatically when the user purchases that item using the mobile wallet. | 12-27-2012 |
| 20130024255 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENABLING A CLIENT TO ACQUIRE A COMMODITY VIA A SURVEY - Systems, methods, and computer program products for enabling a client to acquire a commodity via a survey are provided. One system includes a processor and memory coupled to the processor. The memory is configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide a survey to a client, receive the survey completed by the client, and enable the client to utilize completion of the survey to acquire a commodity. A method includes providing a survey to a client, receiving the completed survey, and enabling the client to utilize completion of the survey to acquire a commodity. One computer program product includes a computer-readable medium configured to store instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for enabling a client to acquire a commodity via a survey. The computer program product includes computer code for performing the above method. | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130024256 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COUPON-LESS PRODUCT LEVEL DISCOUNTS - A product level discount is managed during a transaction by receiving a transaction identifier associated with a transaction, where the transaction identifier comprises a transaction value, a customer account identifier, a merchant identifier, and a product identifier. A product identifier is assessed to determine whether the transaction qualifies for a rebate credit in accordance with a predetermined offer. A rebate credit value is based on the transaction information and the predetermined offer, and qualification may be determined based on at least one of the customer account identifier and the merchant identifier. The product identifier could be a SKU code, which may be the basis for qualifying for the rebate credit. A merchant associated with the merchant identifier, which is part of the transaction, does not need to be informed of the application of the rebate credit to the customer account, which occurs after completion of the transaction. | 01-24-2013 |
| 20130035997 | MANAGING INCENTIVES - For managing incentives, a management module creates an incentive record that includes a milestone, a target completion time, and an incentive amount. A communication module communicates the incentive record to a recipient device and receives a confirmation from the recipient device. The communication module further receives a status from the recipient device. The management module confirms a completion of the milestone and the communication module transfers a payment in response to confirming the completion of the milestone. | 02-07-2013 |
| 20130054326 | Relationship Rewards - An enhanced relationship server may analyze the relationship of an individual, group, and/or organization with respect to an entity. Based on this analysis, the enhanced relationship server may determine a relationship level of the individual, group, and/or organization with respect to the entity. The determined relationship level may be used to provide an appropriate incentive to maintain a relationship with the entity and/or strengthen an existing relationship with the entity. In addition, the enhanced relationship server may determine a social network of the individual, group, and/or organization and may use the social network as an aid in determining the appropriate reward/incentive. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130054327 | REDEMPTION OF REWARDS POINTS FOR USE WITH PRODUCTS AND SERVICES - Apparatuses, computer readable media, methods, and systems are described for determining a first amount of points associated with an account, providing an offer comprising a financial term and a second amount of points required to adjust the financial term, and causing execution of a transaction to execute the offer for the adjusted financial term in response to determining that the first amount of points equals or exceeds the second amount of points. | 02-28-2013 |
| 20130060617 | Rewarding Fiscal Responsibility - An enhanced rewards server may analyze the progress of an individual, group, and/or organization towards a financial goal and may reward the individual, group, and/or organization once the goal has been achieved. The enhanced rewards server may analyze various pieces of information, including transaction data related to credit cards and bank accounts, to determine whether the individual, group, and/or organization is making progress towards the financial goal. In addition, the rewards server may consider progress evaluations made by a social network associated with the individual, group, and/or organization in deciding whether or not a reward should be transmitted. | 03-07-2013 |
| 20130066698 | AUTOMATIC REBATE GENERATION - A system is provided comprising: a mobile device including an application to obtain purchase information from a physical receipt, wherein the purchase information includes a product identification and a purchase price; a monitoring server designed to receive the purchase information from the application on the mobile device, correlate the purchase information with a retailer, retrieve a retailer purchase protection policy associated with the retailer, wherein the retailer purchase protection policy contains limitations under which a credit can be authorized, monitor a current price for a product identified by the product information, and, when the current price for the product drops below the purchase price and the limitations of the retailer purchase protection policy have not been violated, send the purchase information to the retailer with as request for a credit. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130066699 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVISIONING REBATE INSTRUMENTS - A promotional rewards system processes data from transactions with consumers, some of which qualify for rebates. Qualified rebates are remitted to the consumer through a first value instrument, such as a widely accepted debit card account. The consumer can expend the rebate according to terms of use of the first value instrument issuer, typically in incremental amounts within a maximum period of time. Upon reaching an expiration date, or by another process such as when reaching a minimum balance or when requested by the consumer, at least part of a residual value associated with the account of the first value instrument issuer is applied to issue a second value instrument that can have different and potentially more restrictive terms of use, such as an in-store value card or a discount coupon. In this way, the residual value and its promotional effect are not lost. | 03-14-2013 |
| 20130073361 | Methods and systems for offering targeted deals to customers and real-time automatic redemption thereof - A coupon on a card method for redeeming a spot on voucher comprises a step of providing a card product issued by a financial institution to a cardholder, and providing an offer, wherein the offer is a coupon. The offer is transmitted from a financial institution server to an electronic device of the cardholder. Cardholder purchase information is received. The cardholder purchase information indicates that the cardholder purchased the offer. A redemption choice is received from the cardholder. The redemption choice is to load the coupon on the cardholder's card product. The cardholder's purchase information is stored in an offer deployment system. A transaction approval request is receive from at least one of a merchant, an acquirer, an association, a bank, and an issuer. The transaction approval request is processed wherein the step of processing comprises at least one of querying the offer deployment system, approving the transaction, and applying the value of the offer. A receipt is issued to the cardholder wherein the receipt indicates the purchase and use of the coupon. | 03-21-2013 |
| 20130103472 | AFFILIATE OFFER REDEMPTION METHOD AND SYSTEM - An offer processing system and method allows offers that are presented to a consumer by an affiliate to be accepted and thereafter, the offer including its conditions and an affiliate identifier are linked to a consumer payment account. Once linked, the accepted offer can be redeemed either online or offline at a physical location with payment to the affiliate being made through the offer processing system regardless of the manner of redemption, provided other conditions of the offer are fulfilled by the consumer. The offer processing system may comprise a server computer system, having a linked offer gateway, which performs all, or some selected combination of the functions for accepting and redeeming the affiliate offer. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130103473 | Systems and methods for campaign offers and rewards with offer serving engine based on digitized receipt data - A campaign offers and rewards system includes an offer serving engine that provides offers or rewards. An analytics engine, with data intelligence, identifies receipt line items and ties the line items, including uniform price code (“UPC”), stock keeping unit (“SKU”) or product short name from different receipts to create a list of products and services not matched to advertisers. A redemption engine is in communication with a database that includes a reward budget. The redemption engine assists in controlling the redemption of rewards in view of the reward budget and in response to a communication from the analytics engine. | 04-25-2013 |
| 20130117084 | ENGAGEMENT REWARD AND REDEMPTION SYSTEM - An engagement reward and redemption system is disclosed. Within the platform, consumers, entities and processes interact with an engagement management system to manage transactions, compensation events, consumer profiles, etc. | 05-09-2013 |
| 20130132175 | MOBILE DEVICE REBATE SYSTEM - A mobile rebate application (mobile rebate APP) to obtain a rebate related to a mobile device or service of the mobile device. The APP submits a rebate request form to a rebate control center which validates, approves and authorizes rebates. The rebate may be applied to the carrier billing system of the mobile device via a mobile application storefront and/or via a social gifting platform. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130132176 | OFFER MANAGEMENT AND SETTLEMENT IN A PAYMENT NETWORK WITH PURCHASE CODE - A payment network for facilitating transactions involves management of offers and accounts associated with a consumer. During a transaction, the payment network can associate one or more offers and accounts in settling a transaction. Once the offer and accounts have been associated with the transaction, the payment network can adjust a transaction amount and/or identify amounts to be debited for each account associated with the transaction. | 05-23-2013 |
| 20130144697 | Socially Networked Business and Consumer Space - Creative energy of consumers is captured and incentivized by businesses when the businesses provide personal incentives that reflect the extent to which the consumers make productive contributions to a socially networked business and consumer space. The personal incentives provide consumers lower prices through coupons, rebates, or other discounts for various items sold or distributed by the businesses. Consumers that are more productive or active in the social space can receive lower pricing on items. The personalized incentive for a particular consumer may be based on the quantity and quality of product reviews provided by the consumer as well as other factors such as consumer loyalty to a particular merchant or business. This business and consumer space spans the brick-and-mortar as well as the online retail spaces allowing consumers to use a mobile device to make online purchases by scanning a tag on a tangible object in a brick-and-mortar store. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130159078 | Method and System for Administering a Bank Rewards Program - A method and system for administering a rewards program associated with a payment card issued to a customer is provided. The customer's purchase activity with the payment card is monitored and used to award redemption value, or rewards points, to the user in a familiar manner. The customer is permitted to redeem some or all of his or her points to offset specific transactions made using the payment card. The rewards program may also award redemption value for non-purchase activity, such as completing surveys and signing up for additional bank products. In other embodiments, the customer earns redemption value in connection with activity taking place in a first bank account and is permitted to redeem that value in favor of a second bank account. | 06-20-2013 |
| 20130173369 | SYSTEM FOR MANAGING LOYALTY PROGRAM PARTNERS - Some embodiments include a computer-implemented method for disseminating a business lead to a partner of a loyalty program. In some embodiments, the method includes completing a sales transaction with a customer over a telecommunications network, where the customer is a member of the loyalty program. The method can also include depositing, via an electronic transmission, a first quantity of loyalty currency in an electronic account associated with the customer, wherein the deposit is given to the customer for completion of the sales transaction, wherein the loyalty currency is issued by the loyalty program. The method can also include transmitting an electronic notification to the partner, wherein the notification includes information about services purchased via the sales transaction and contact information associated with the customer. | 07-04-2013 |
| 20130179242 | System and Method for Managing Promotional Offers Using a Communications Platform - A system and method for managing, distributing, and processing promotional offers is provided. The system includes at least one consumer interface that enables communication between the promotional offer processing system and a plurality of consumers; a consumer information database for storing consumer data for a plurality of consumer profiles; an offer catalog having a plurality of offers; a product catalog having product codes corresponding to products associated with each of the accepted offers; and an offer management module. | 07-11-2013 |
| 20130191195 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PRESENT AND PROCESS OFFERS - A user interface is provided to present offers via icons displayed near the location of the user on a map. Offers presented on the map may include active offers previously selected by the user and currently associated with the consumer account of the user for active participation, matching offers that have a set of targeting criteria which the user meets, and location-based offers that target locations in the vicinity of the location of the user. Icons for the location-based offers are presented at their respective targeting locations; and the active offers and matching offers are presented around the location of the user on the map for convenient access. A user interface allows the user to explore available offers, view information associated with the respective offers, and select offers in which to participate. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130191196 | System and Method for Utilizing Consumer Capital to fund Municipal Charitable Projects - A consumer capital distribution system for providing revenue to underfunded municipal projects and charitable organizations. Consumers are provided with a member card that is linked to a charity of their choice, and a consumer loyalty program that retains store credits for any participating retailers the consumer patronizes. When the consumer makes a purchase at t participating business, a first portion of the purchase price is donated by the business to the consumer's selected charity; a second portion is contribution to a participating business retirement plan fund; and a third portion is attributed to the consumer's loyalty program account as a store credit. The system is administered by an administrative entity that enrolls new consumers, businesses and charities, and tracks the account details and donation history of each. The system and method thus help municipalities to provide revenue to projects that would otherwise go unfunded. | 07-25-2013 |
| 20130204686 | System and Method for Targeted Marketing and Consumer Resource Management - Systems and methods are provided for providing targeted marketing to goods and services provides and consumer resource management services to consumers. An example system and method for targeted marketing comprises collecting transaction data from point-of-sale (POS) terminals and using a consumer identifier in the transaction data to access stored information about the consumer. This information may be used to target offers and advertisement to the consumer. In an example system for consumer resource management, a consumer may configure a consumer account on the enterprise infrastructure via a web-site. The consumer may use the consumer account to purchase and configure gift cards that may be used for purchasing goods and services. A universal transaction identifier may be associated with the consumer account and used to purchase goods and services from more than one selected goods and services providers. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130204687 | INVOICELESS TRADING AND SETTLEMENT METHOD AND SYSTEM - Methods and systems consistent with the present invention overcome the shortcomings of existing trading systems by providing an invoiceless trading system that creates incentives for customers to pay suppliers within a predetermined period of time, such as a settlement period. Specifically, the invoiceless trading system enables a customer to obtain a discount on orders placed with suppliers in return for an immediate payment (e.g., within 24 hours) by the customer. The supplier receives payment within the predetermined period of time, and the customer receives additional cash benefits by providing an early payment to the supplier. To communicate with and transfer funds between customers and suppliers, the invoiceless trading system may use an electronic gateway and a settlement bank. In addition to creating an incentive to embrace e-commerce, both customers and suppliers avoid the need to manually process orders and use invoices to complete transactions. | 08-08-2013 |
| 20130211894 | System and Method for Managing Promotional Savings Using a Communications Platform - A system and method for processing promotional savings using existing communications platforms. A plurality of promotional codes are assigned and stored in a promotions database. These promotional codes are positioned by marketers on products, packaging, or the like, along with instructions informing consumers to transmit the promotional code to a predefined destination address, such as a phone number, a short code text number, or an email address. After a message containing the promotional code is received from the consumer, the received code is parsed from the message, validated, and a promotional savings value associated with the code is identified. That amount is communicated to an operator of at least one account associated the consumer, and applied as a savings to the operator's billing statement. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130211895 | Systems, Methods, and Media for Inducing Consumer Loyalty - Systems, methods, and media are provided for inducing customer loyalty that are configured to: identify a loyalty account associated with a consumer, wherein the loyalty account is part of as loyalty program established by a retailer, create a monetary account linked to the consumer's loyalty account, designate an amount of change from a cash transaction at the retailer to be deposited into the monetary account, deposit the amount of change into the monetary account by adding the designated amount of change to an existing balance of the monetary account to create a new balance, determine if the consumer is entitled to a reward based on the depositing of the designated amount of change into the monetary account and at least one threshold; and display to the consumer the outcome of the determining. | 08-15-2013 |
| 20130218653 | OFFER MANAGEMENT AND SETTLEMENT IN A PAYMENT NETWORK WITH TRANSACTION DATA - A payment network for facilitating transactions involves management of offers and accounts associated with a consumer. During a transaction, the payment network can associate one or more offers and accounts in settling a transaction. Once the offer and accounts have been associated with the transaction, the payment network can adjust a transaction amount and/or identify amounts to be debited for each account associated with the transaction. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130218654 | System and Method for Funding a Collective Account - A system and method for funding a collective account such as a charitable account includes issuing a plurality of financial instruments, linking the financial instruments to the collective account, aggregating individual financial instrument usage, calculating a bonus or other reward based on the aggregate financial instrument usage and funding or distributing the reward to the collective account. According to the invention, members of a civic, charitable, political or other entity may generate collective rewards or other benefits which may be attributed to the designated organization. | 08-22-2013 |
| 20130246141 | DISRUPTIVELY PRICED OR FREE FINANCIAL SERVICES OR ITEMS IN EXCHANGE FOR PARTICIPATION IN OPT IN ADVERTISING - An electronic payment system is provided which provides monetary rewards in exchange for participation in opt-in advertising. The electronic payment system is configured to receive an indication that a user is initiating participation in opt-in advertising. The advertising is sent to the user from the electronic payment system in exchange for a monetary reward. In most cases, the user will have a mobile wallet account at the electronic payment system. The electronic payment system then sends advertisements to a mobile wallet application running on a digital device of the user, determines an appropriate monetary reward based on the number and/or type of advertisements sent to the user's mobile wallet application, and provides the determined monetary reward to the user via the mobile wallet application on the user's digital device. | 09-19-2013 |
| 20130254000 | Methods and Systems for Customer Incentive Awards - Methods and systems for generating customer incentive awards involve receiving, using a processor coupled to memory, information regarding a balance of a deposit account, such as a savings account, of at least one customer for determination of an award amount related to a loan account of the customer. Using the processor, the award amount may be computed based on at least in part on the balance of the deposit account and at least in part on an interest rate of the loan account of the customer. Thereafter, likewise using the processor, the award amount may be applied to an account designated by the customer, such as a mortgage loan account of the customer. | 09-26-2013 |
| 20130262209 | PROVIDING INCENTIVES USING PRODUCT LEVEL DATA - A computer-implemented method and system for providing incentives to consumers based on product level data. Information relating to an incentive is defined and stored using, for example, a database accessible by a processing unit. The information relating to the incentive may include a product identifier, such as a stock keeping unit (SKU) number corresponding to a particular product or service. During a transaction between a merchant and a consumer, information may be transmitted to a processing unit, which determines if the information contains the product identifier corresponding to that specified to qualify for the incentive. Information related a payment medium used by the consumer in the transaction may be received and compared to information from an issuer of the payment medium to verify the transaction. The incentive may be provided via a credit to the payment account, or as an online virtual reward on a social networking or gaming website. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20130268332 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ENHANCING CUSTOMER SERVICE - A method is disclosed for determining that a consumer is within an area encompassing a merchant. A visual description of the consumer is transmitted to the merchant. Consumer status information is transmitted to the merchant. The method may include determining that the consumer satisfies offer criteria. A promotion offer may he transmitted to the consumer. The merchant may use the visual description or consumer preferences to offer the consumer a personalized product or service. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130268333 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROCESS TRANSACTIONS AND OFFERS VIA A GATEWAY - A system, configured to integrate the processing of transactions and offers applicable to the transactions, includes: a data warehouse storing an offer in association with a financial payment account; a gateway configured to receive an authorization request that is transmitted from a transaction terminal without going through an acquirer processor, the gateway coupled with the data warehouse to determine whether the offer is applicable to the authorization request and if so, apply a benefit of the offer to the authorization request; and a transaction handler coupled with the gateway to process the authorization request submitted from the gateway, provide an authorization response corresponding to the authorization request, and communicate with the acquirer processor to credit funds according to the authorization request to a merchant account associated with the transaction terminal. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130268334 | CREDIT CARD HAVING REIMBURSEMENT FOR BENEFITS - An improved computerized method for provides credit card services by a card issuer. A cardholder has an account with the card issuer and the method includes storing, in association with the account, data associated with the cardholder's benefits. It also includes processing incoming merchant charges to be posted to the account to flag any charge identified as covered by the benefits and to store such charge as flagged. Finally it includes deferring billing of any flagged charge, pending settlement of such flagged charge under an arrangement with the benefit provider. | 10-10-2013 |
| 20130282456 | SYSTEM AND METHODS TO DETERMINE A VALUE RELATING TO A POST - Products and processes are provided in which an award for a commitment from an entity to post information, via a posting site, at or before a subsequent time is offered to an entity. In response to receiving the commitment, the award is provided to the entity. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130282457 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO DETERMINE A VALUE RELATING TO A POST - Products and processes are provided in which an award for a commitment from an entity to post information, via a posting site, at or before a subsequent time is offered to an entity. In response to receiving the commitment, the award is provided to the entity. | 10-24-2013 |
| 20130311261 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR RECRUITING, COMMUNICATING WITH, AND PAYING PARTICIPANTS OF INTERACTIVE ADVERTISING - A method and apparatus for recruiting, communicating with, and paying participants of interactive advertising are described. The present invention is a system through which advertisers car recruit, communicate with, and pay their potential customers for their time. The system achieves these functions without the advertiser or the customer having to be in the same location—all logistics are handled through the system's web site, database, and communications interfaces. The system enables advertisers to promote interactive seminars in which they try to sell products to potential customers. Most importantly, the advertisers are able to offer their potential customers financial rewards for their time, such as 25 cents per minute to reward a customer for listening to a sales pitch. The system then provides a real-time communications link between the advertiser and customer. The system automatically bills the advertiser and rewards the customer for the time that they interact. | 11-21-2013 |
| 20130325574 | FINANCIAL ACCOUNT RELATED TRIGGER FEATURE FOR OFFERING SERVICE DISCOUNTS - Systems and methods for producing and maintaining account related triggers are provided herein. The systems and methods may be utilized for marketing service savings opportunities to a customer of one or more accounts of a financial institution. Triggers may be executed to monitor outbound transactions for services. The outbound transactions may be compared to a control. The financial institution may then determine a service savings opportunity offer to present to the customer. | 12-05-2013 |
| 20130346173 | Driving New User Acquisition from Payment Transactions - Systems and methods are disclosed for a payment service provider to provide benefits through provisional accounts established at in-store checkout to consumers who do not have accounts with the payment service provider to drive use sign-up. The payment service provider may offer cash paying consumers electronic cash stored in provisional accounts instead of any change at a point-of-sale, or offer credit card paying consumers a guest checkout experience to receive discounts, incentives, or rewards. The consumers are asked to provide identifying information such as a phone number of their mobile devices. A provisional account is established and linked it to the identification information if the provisional account does not already exist. Otherwise, the payment service provider may verify that the provisional account has not expired. The payment service provider may send reminders to the mobile devices to encourage the consumers to register an account before the provisional account expires. | 12-26-2013 |
| 20140006126 | AUTOMATIC REDEMPTION OF MANUFACTURER OFFERS | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140006127 | Systems and Methods for Earning Virtual Value Associated with Transaction Account Activities | 01-02-2014 |
| 20140012646 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING A DISCOUNT - Systems and methods are provided for delivering a discount using a partner-issued currency or a combination of virtual currency and partner-issued currency, offering a high-perceived savings value to an end-user while maintaining the perception of product value. An embodiment of an inventive method includes presenting a display of a price paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency along with a display of an amount payable by the end-user in actual currency in combination with an amount payable in virtual currency. The end-user perceives a benefit to using the virtual currency and since the price paid in actual currency is less than the displayed price to be paid by a consumer without access to the virtual currency. | 01-09-2014 |
| 20140025450 | REVERSE COUPONING - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for reverse couponing. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine user information and account information associated with a user; adjust offer information associated with an offer based on the user information and the account information, wherein the offer enables the user to receive at least one of a discount or a rebate on a purchase from a merchant; and transmit the adjusted offer to the user. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140025451 | ENHANCED TRANSACTION PROCESSING - Methods, systems, and computer-executable instructions for managing financial information are provided. An exemplary method includes establishing a customer identifier associated with a customer and linking the customer identifier to one or more customer financial accounts in a database. The customer identifier is associated with the one or more customer financial accounts, but does not contain account numbers of the one or more customer financial accounts. The method also includes tracking purchasing behavior metrics associated with the customer financial accounts and reporting the purchasing behavior metrics using the customer identifier. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140025452 | ENHANCED TRANSACTION PROCESSING - Methods, systems, and computer-executable instructions for managing customer incentives in a payment processing system are provided. An exemplary method includes associating a customer identifier with a payment account of a customer in a database of the payment processing system. The method includes receiving activity information associated with an activity of the customer, identifying an incentive based on the received activity information and the customer identifier, and linking the incentive to the payment account in the database. In response to receiving a request to authorize a transaction using the payment account, the incentive is retrieved from the database and applied to the transaction if criteria are satisfied. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140025453 | ENHANCED TRANSACTION PROCESSING - Methods, systems, and computer-executable instructions for automatically processing promotion redemptions are provided. An exemplary method includes linking promotion information with an account of a customer in a database. The promotion information pertains to a promotion for a product or service offered by a merchant. The method includes receiving a request to provide payment for a transaction using the customer account. The request includes an amount of the transaction and an identifier of the customer account. The method further includes retrieving the promotion information from the database based on the identifier, verifying that the transaction is eligible for the promotion based on the retrieved promotion information, and adjusting the amount of the transaction based on the retrieved promotion information. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140025454 | Early Payment Rewards System and Method - Embodiments of the invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for reducing funding burden on a credit issuer by offering an early payment rewards program to qualified card holders. The method may include identifying card holders having a payment history illustrating payment of an entire credit balance each month, determining whether each of the identified card holders generates an account-related fee total not exceeding a pre-selected threshold, and selecting the card holders having a history of payment of the entire credit balance each month and generating account-related fees not exceeding the pre-selected threshold. The method may further include offering the early payment rewards program to the selected card holders, wherein upon enrollment in the early payment rewards program the selected card holders receive rewards for early payment behavior. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140025455 | IDENTIFYING SIMILARITY - In one implementation, preference information relevant to a set of items that has been submitted on behalf of multiple different users is compared to global ranking information for the set of items that has been compiled based on the preference information submitted on behalf of the multiple different users. Preference information submitted on behalf of a particular user then is identified as being similar to the global ranking information. | 01-23-2014 |
| 20140032292 | OFFER AGGREGATION - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for offer aggregation. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine a first offer that is associated with a first discount or rebate on a first transaction; determine a second offer that is associated with a second discount or rebate on a second transaction; determine whether the user executed the first transaction and the second transaction; and in response to determining the user executed the first transaction and the second transaction when processing the first transaction and the second transaction, apply a third discount or rebate to the user's financial institution account, wherein the third discount or rebate is based on at least one of the first discount or rebate or the second discount or rebate. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140032293 | SEQUENTIAL OFFER AGGREGATION - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for sequential offer aggregation. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine a first offer that enables the user's financial institution account to receive a first discount or rebate on a first transaction; and in response to determining the user executed the first transaction, determine a second offer that enables the user's financial institution account to receive a second discount or rebate on a second transaction. In some embodiments, the second offer may be based on the first offer. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140032294 | OFFERS BASED ON USER ACTIVITY - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for applying offers to purchase transactions at settlement based on an activity performed by a user. An exemplary apparatus is configured to determine at least one transaction associated with a user's financial institution account; and determine, when processing the at least one transaction, whether to apply at least one offer to the at least one transaction. The at least one offer enables the user's financial institution account to receive a discount or a rebate on the at least one transaction. In some embodiments, the at least one offer is applied to the at least one transaction based on substantially matching activity information associated with the at least one offer with at least one activity performed by the user. | 01-30-2014 |
| 20140039997 | System and Method for Funding a Collective Account - A system and method for funding a collective account such as a charitable account includes issuing a plurality of financial instruments, linking the financial instruments to the collective account, aggregating individual financial instrument usage, calculating a bonus or other reward based on the aggregate financial instrument usage and funding or distributing the reward to the collective account. According to the invention, members of a civic, charitable, political or other entity may generate collective rewards or other benefits which may be attributed to the designated organization. | 02-06-2014 |
| 20140052519 | Forum for Purchasing Crowd Funded Goods and Services Using Dividend Credits - In some embodiments of the invention, a method providing a private marketplace among early stage companies and investors in which dividend credits on investments are applicable to products or services offered for sale may register a plurality of companies with an equity crowd funding system. The method may also register an investor with the equity crowd funding system. The method further receives, from an investor, payment for investing in a given company in the plurality of companies. Then, the method receives, from the company, a dividend credit on the payment for the investor. The method applies the dividend credit to an account of the investor and displays to the investor offers to purchase goods or services from companies within the plurality of companies. The dividend credit is applicable to purchase prices of the goods or services. | 02-20-2014 |
| 20140058815 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR LOCATION BASED MOBILE APPLICATION OFFERS - The systems and methods of the disclosure allow a user to take advantage of offers via a mobile application. In response to a purchase associated with the offer is made, the transaction information may be processed by the system, such that, the credit and debit associated with the purchase are transmitted to the transaction account and the merchant. The transaction information may be further processed to determine whether the particular transaction is eligible for a reward. Where the transaction is eligible for a reward, the credit and debit associated with reward are transmitted to the transaction account and the sponsoring entity. The offers may be based on the location of the mobile device and/or location of the user. | 02-27-2014 |
| 20140067500 | EVENT OUTCOMES PREDICTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS - A system and method is provided that enables users to selectively predict one or more outcomes expected to occur during an upcoming event, such as a sporting event. A graphical user interface enables users to specify data for individual outcomes predicted to occur during the event. Rewards and/or an amount of the rewards are determined for predictions based on a comparison of actual outcomes with the predicted outcomes and/or one or more business rules. Users obtain rewards for accurate outcome predictions in near-real time during live events and can view reward amounts and/or actual game statistics during the live event. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140067501 | Social Network for Distributing Multimedia Content - An electronic system and method for distribution of multimedia content programs over an electronic communication network to a user in a social network. The social network enables users to register and connect with other users. Users get paid for watching content, by receiving a revenue share of the advertisements displayed in conjunction with the selected content. A user may also browse the content watched by any of his friends on the social network, and choose to watch the same content. In this case, the user gets compensated for watch a content program with advertisement and the friend also gets compensated for the referral. | 03-06-2014 |
| 20140074574 | ADAPTIVE RESPONSE TO USER TRANSACTIONS - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for adaptively responding to a user transaction. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with an offer, the offer enabling a user to receive a discount or rebate on a qualifying transaction; receive authorization information associated with a transaction, the offer not activated by the user prior to the transaction; and transmit a message to the user advising the user to activate the offer within a predetermined period, wherein the transaction is cleared upon expiration of the predetermined period. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140074575 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROGRAM INTERACTION WITH A USER THROUGH TRANSACTIONS IN MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS - In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to represent offer rules based on requirements for the detection of predefined types of events and actions scheduled to be performed in response to the detection of each occurrence of the events. The events are independent from each other in processing and are linked via prerequisite conditions to formulate the requirements of an offer campaign. The computing apparatus is configured to allow a user to register a plurality of different accounts; and a transaction in a first account of the user can be used to satisfy the prerequisite conditions for the detection of a subsequent event in the offer rules corresponding to a subsequent transaction in a second account different from the first account. Thus, the user can use any of the registered accounts to generate the events anticipated by different stages of the offer rules and thus trigger the respective actions. | 03-13-2014 |
| 20140081724 | ISSUING REBATES AS GIFT CARDS - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for issuing a gift card to an account. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: determine an offer associated with an account, wherein the offer was activated by a user of the account or automatically activated based on one or more pre-configured user preferences; determine a transaction associated with the account; determine the transaction qualifies for the offer; determine a gift card based on at least one of the transaction or the offer; and issue the gift card to the account. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140081725 | GIFT CARD ASSOCIATION WITH ACCOUNT AND MERCHANT COMMUNICATION - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for transmitting information to an entity (e.g., a merchant) upon associating a gift card with an account. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with a gift card, the gift card associated with a merchant; associate the gift card with an account; and transmit information to an entity, the information being associated with at least one of the gift card, the account, or a user associated with the account. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140081726 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR SOCIAL NETWORK INITIATED REWARDS - A system and method for processing an economic benefit between friends on a social network using a consumer identifier, payment card, and plurality of friend identifiers, each friend identifier including a consumer identifier corresponding to another consumer data entry, at least one challenge including a challenge identifier, task identification, threshold number of consumers and a reward; a task identifier and a required action. Upon an indication of completion of a task by the consumer and friends or indication based on performance of the corresponding required action, the consumer and friends can share in a reward. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140081727 | Methods And Systems For Redeeming Loyalty Rewards - Methods and systems can be provide for redeeming loyalty rewards such as loyalty points for value. In an aspect, an input can be received. The input can relate to a loyalty program and a user account. The input can comprise an exchangeable value and the user account has a profile associated therewith. The input can be analyzed to automatically determine a modification to the profile based upon the exchangeable value. The modification can be applied to the profile associated with the user account. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140081728 | ONLINE POINT REDEMPTION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM - An online point redemption and distribution system. The online point redemption and distribution system is used in combination with a cloud computing operating system to allow consumers and stores to do transaction online, every transaction between the consumers and the stores will be recorded as points, and then the points can be redeemed into virtual money and deposited in consumer's account. Therefore, it will enhance consumers' loyalty. The online point redemption and distribution system includes a website operation platform and an application programming interface module. | 03-20-2014 |
| 20140100929 | CONSUMER OFFER REDEMPTION METHODS AND SYSTEMS - A computer-implemented offer redemption method and system for presenting offers to consumers and processing offer redemptions links offers from businesses directly to a payment account of a consumers, thereby eliminating the need for mail-in rebates or point-of-sale integration, and allows for the sharing of consumer information between different card link offer providers to facilitate the linking of rewards and registration of users. The computer-implemented offer redemption method includes the steps of: (a) presenting an offer to a consumer from an offering business, the offer covering a product or service or a purchase from a third-party; (b) receiving activation of the offer from the consumer prior to the consumer purchasing the product or service and storing it in the computer storage system; (c) determining whether the consumer is a registered user by searching a database of the offering business; (d) if the consumer is not registered with the offering business, asking the user for a unique identifier; and (e) searching a cooperative computer card link offer (“CLO”) network including multiple card link offer businesses for consumer data that match the unique identifier to determine if the consumer has previously registered with any other card link offer business. | 04-10-2014 |
| 20140129308 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROVIDE OFFER BENEFITS BASED ON ISSUER IDENTITY - Systems and methods configured to specify and/or deliver the benefit of an offer, based on the identity of an issuer of a consumer payment account with which the offer is associated and using which account a transaction qualifying for the offer is performed. | 05-08-2014 |
| 20140129309 | SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND MEDIA FOR INDUCING CONSUMER LOYALTY - Systems, methods, and media are provided for inducing customer loyalty that are configured to: identify a loyalty account associated with a consumer, wherein the loyalty account is part of a loyalty program established by a retailer, create a monetary account linked to the consumer's loyalty account, designate an amount of change from a cash transaction at the retailer to be deposited into the monetary account, deposit the amount of change into the monetary account by adding the designated amount of change to an existing balance of the monetary account to create a new balance, determine if the consumer is entitled to a reward based on the depositing of the designated amount of change into the monetary account and at least one threshold; and display to the consumer the outcome of the determining. | 05-08-2014 |
| 20140129310 | MULTI-VENDOR MULTI-LOYALTY CURRENCY PROGRAM - Loyalty programs can be operated within a payment processing system having multiple vendors, thereby providing access to detailed transaction data and with the flexibility for customization of the loyalty programs themselves, by establishing a communication for the transfer of data via a customer-facing channel. When the payment processing system processes a transaction between a merchant and an account holder, in addition to obtaining payment for the merchant from the account via an acquirer and an issuer, respectively, a transaction handler tabulates and stores different types of loyalty currencies in a loyalty reward account associated with the account holder if the account holder is enrolled in a loyalty program and criteria for applying the loyalty program are satisfied. The account holder is provided access to the loyalty account via the customer-facing channel. | 05-08-2014 |
| 20140143037 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO OWN A FREE COMPUTER, A FREE MOBILE DEVICE AND A FREE WEARABLE DEVICE AND LIFE TIME WARRANTY VIA THE SAME DEVICE PAYMENT CASHBACK - Provided are computer implemented methods and systems for providing compensation for using a mobile payment service. An exemplary system comprises a processor and a database in communication with the processor. The processor is configured to receive a deposit amount associated with a purchase related to a user. The purchase is made via the mobile payment service. The processor is further configured to receive payment information associated with the user. The payment information is associated with a mobile payment account of the user in the mobile payment service. When the processor receives a notification about a further purchase of the user via the mobile payment service, compensation from the deposit amount is provided. The compensation is proportional to a payment amount associated with the further purchase. The database is configured to store at least the deposit amount and the payment information. | 05-22-2014 |
| 20140149195 | NEAR REAL-TIME MATCH - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for enabling a user to determine whether a transaction qualifies for an offer. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with a transaction; receive information associated with an offer, the offer enabling a user to receive a discount or rebate on a qualifying transaction; and initiate presentation of an indicator indicating whether the transaction qualifies for the offer. | 05-29-2014 |
| 20140156368 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING CREDIT TO FINANCIAL SERVICE ACCOUNTS - A system and method is provided for redeeming coupons to credit a customer's financial service account without sharing the customer's restricted information with merchants. The system and method may include a financial service provider receiving merchant transaction information from a merchant that reflects sale transactions associated with the merchant over a period of time. The financial service provider may compare the merchant transaction information with financial service accounts transaction information associated with financial service accounts provided by the financial service provider. Additionally, the financial service provider may identify a common transaction between the merchant transactions and the financial service accounts transactions based on one or more unique identifiers, determine the common transaction meets a predetermined credit requirement, and identify a customer's financial service account corresponding to the common transaction. Furthermore, the financial service provider may provide credit to the customer's financial service account based on the predetermined requirement. | 06-05-2014 |
| 20140164083 | FINANCIAL PAYMENT SYSTEMS LINKED TO CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS - A computer-implemented method and system for linking a financial payment system to a customer account. A customer account may be created that includes an identifier for a financial payment system, such as a credit or debit card. During a transaction between the customer and a merchant, the identifier may be received by a payment processor. The processor correlated the identifier with a customer using stored customer account information. An electronic message including an incentive offered by the merchant is generated and sent to the customer. The offer may include a condition that the customer must complete in order to receive the incentive. The condition may be, for example, a requirement that the customer provide predetermined information to the merchant or as a posting on a social network. The incentive may be provided to the customer as a refund directly applied to the financial payment system. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140164084 | SKU-LEVEL CARD LINKED OFFER PLATFORM - A system and method to provide item level purchase incentives directly to consumers are fully disclosed. Item level offers may include brand or product SKU-specific offers and rewards. In some embodiments, incentives may be credited directly to the consumer's card or bank account without any action required from the consumer subsequent to purchasing the product. The platform will evaluate potential offers and incentives according to a rules engine. The platform also maps the brand's authorized dealers by location so that offers can be targeted to consumers shopping at that location or who live within a certain distance of that location, for example, in addition to targeting by demographic, household income, past spending patterns, etc. Typically, the platform integrates directly with credit card issuer's systems sending the validated transaction information to the card issuer with an amount to be credited on that card or account. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140164085 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR IMPLEMENTING SEARCH ENGINE WITH COST PER ACTION REVENUE MODEL - The inventive technology enables the search engine operator to charge the advertisers who place their links on the search engine only if the user uses the search results to visit the advertiser's web portal(s) and generates revenue for the advertiser. This concept is especially attractive to the advertisers because it eliminates the risk, which the advertisers face in conventional search engines, when they are changed by the search engine per user click irrespectively of whether the user's visit resulted in advertiser's revenue. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140164086 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ASSISTING AND INCENTIVIZING CONSUMERS - Systems and processes are disclosed for assisting and incentivizing a user to save money by avoiding impulsive purchases. In certain embodiments, disclosed embodiments may include mechanisms to receive a user-defined goal for saving money and to receive item identifying information relating to an item not purchased by the user in accomplishing the goal. The disclosed embodiments also include mechanisms that determine the price of the item based on the identifying information and determine the amount of savings based on the price of the item. The disclosed embodiments may also be configured to determine and offer a reward to the user based on the amount of savings and to provide to the user a history record of one or more items not purchased in accomplishing the user's goal. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20140172528 | PROVIDING FUTURE ACCESS TO REWARD DISTRIBUTION IN A PURCHASE OFFER AND REWARD SYSTEM - Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for managing the distribution of rewards in a purchase offer and reward program. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide for applying a monetary reward to a designated account that is only available to the customer in the future based on occurrence of a triggering event. In specific embodiments of the invention, the triggering event may be a future date or an account amount threshold, such that when the date occurs or when the threshold amount is accumulated in the account, the account becomes accessible to the customer. Moreover, the account may be any type of account, such as a savings account or the like. In specific embodiments, the account is associated with a pre-paid credit card or a similar product, such that once the triggering event occurs the pre-paid credit card is issued to the customer. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140172529 | CHASING REWARDS ASSOCIATED WITH ACCOUNTS - The present invention is directed to a method for linking accounts corresponding to different products together to create a group so that group processing can be performed at the group level while independent processing of the accounts is performed at the account level. The method links the accounts into a group by linking a financial record for each account to group master data for the group. The group master data includes information about the group, including group control settings, aggregate data, and a group identifier. A group typically includes a key account and one or more dependent accounts. The relationship between a dependent account and the group is specified by a dependent strategy. A dependent strategy specifies group level processing options for the account. The relationships between the accounts and the group are flexible to accommodate changes in the status of the group cardholders. Alternative embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from its spirit and scope. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention is described by the appended claims and is supported by the foregoing description. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140180783 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SOCIALLY ENABLED REWARDS THROUGH A USER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENT - A system and method for providing socially enabled rewards through a user financial instrument includes gathering transaction data from a user's financial account and analyzing the transaction data for a savings opportunity indication. A savings opportunity from a database of savings opportunities is matched to the user based on the savings opportunity indication, wherein the savings opportunity can be shared with other users or a social network. The savings opportunity is displayed in association with a statement of a user's financial account and the user is allowed to share the savings opportunity, wherein sharing causes a shared savings opportunity to be generated. A second user, one who received the shared savings opportunity, can redeem the shared savings opportunity. The sharing and redemption of the shared savings opportunity is tracked, such as to improve targeting users who are influential based on the number of redemptions of the shared savings opportunity. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140180784 | APPARATUS, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR REWARDING HEALTHY BEHAVIORS AND/OR ENCOURAGING APPROPRIATE PURCHASES WITH A REWARD CARD - A wellness program is set up for employees of an employer and participation in the program by at least a first one of the employees of the employer is tracked to determine if the at least first one of the employees has earned a reward by virtue of the participation. In response to determining that the reward has been earned, it is determined whether this is the employee's initial earned reward. If such is the case, a reward payment card is created for the employee; an amount associated with the reward payment card is initialized; and the card is provided to the employee. Subsequently-made purchases by the employee with the card are detected. In some cases, based on purchase level data associated with the subsequently-made purchases, it is determined if the employee is eligible for a supplemental award; if this is the case, supplemental award value is associated to the reward payment card. In other instances, purchase-level data associated with at least those of the subsequently-made purchases which are qualified purchases is reported to the employer. | 06-26-2014 |
| 20140195318 | MOBILE COUPON ANALYSIS SYSTEMS AND METHODS - Methods and systems are described for issuing and settling electronic coupons. A financial service host may receive authorization and settlement information, wherein the authorization and settlement information comprises an account number of the consumer. The account number may be linked to an account of the consumer enrolled in an electronic coupon program. The methods and system may also include transmitting a notification to the consumer that indicates the electronic coupon has been redeemed. A monetary value associated with the electronic coupon may be debited from an account linked to the merchant, and the account of the consumer may be credited with the monetary value associated with the electronic coupon. | 07-10-2014 |
| 20140207547 | ASSOCIATING FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS WITH A SOCIAL NETWORKING SYSTEM USER PROFILE - A social networking system associates a financial account identified by a user with a user profile maintained by the social networking system for the user. The social networking system may compensate the user for associating the financial account with the user profile by crediting the identified financial account by an amount. The credit may be applied to subsequent purchases by the user at a vendor identified by the user. To simplify vendor selection, the social networking system may suggest one or more candidate pages associated with vendors to the user. Information in a transaction history of the financial account and in the user profile may be used to identify the candidate pages, allowing the user to select a vendor with which the user has previously transacted by selecting a candidate page associated with the vendor. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20140207548 | Reward Program for Loan Accounts - A computer system enables a financial institution to award a fixed reward that may include one or more fixed components based on at least one payment criterion when a customer remits a payment in a timely basis. The payment criteria, for example, may include paying a minimum amount for each consecutive billing period in a timely manner over a predetermined calendar interval. When the customer is awarded the fixed reward, the reward may be directed to an account that is designated by the customer. The fixed reward may also include a basic fixed amount for satisfying the at least one payment criterion a well as an additional fixed amount if the customer has a specified relationship (such as a checking and/or a savings account) with the financial institution. | 07-24-2014 |
| 20140214508 | CARD LINKED OFFERS - The invention provides a computer-based method of managing electronic transactions. A plurality of merchant accounts with offers are stored in a data store. A card number and a mobile phone number are then stored. Due to registration of the card number at least one of the offers is transmitted to a consumer mobile phone at the mobile phone number. A charge advisory is received after transmitting the offer to the consumer mobile phone. The offer is then applied against an account having a card number that matches a card number in the charge advisory. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140214509 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF EFFECTING A MERCHANT FUNDED REWARD - A computer implemented method of effecting a merchant funded reward when a consumer purchases goods and/or services from a merchant using an electronic payment, including a processor executing instruction code causing collection of transaction details of the consumer purchase, processing of the transaction details to calculate any associated reward, and notification of the entire reward to be collected from the merchant. | 07-31-2014 |
| 20140249901 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CIRCLE OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS MARKETPLACE - A customer selects a payment source and authorizes payment by sending Short Message Service (SMS) text messages or secure hypertext transfer protocol (HTTPS) requests from the customer's mobile phone or device. A SMS payment software-plugin is installed on a Point-Of-Sale (POS) terminal and launches a price match search and can fetch customer rewards. When a customer requests to pay by SMS, the plugin is activated and the customer's mobile phone number and zip code or POS PIN are entered on the POS terminal. The POS terminal sends a request to a SMS payment system, which sends SMS text messages to the customer's mobile device. The details are discussed. The application on marketplace based on circle of friends and family is also discussed, which connects the people to schools or universities, to support them financially, through Koincloud marketplace. | 09-04-2014 |
| 20140257954 | Goal-Oriented Long Term Incentive Award Education System - A long term goal oriented incentive learning and feedback award system is disclosed. A kid user, parent, a school, a charity and/or a program provider are enabled to directly interact to provide financial incentives to the kid user to be motivated in a program. A parent, a school, a charity and/or a program provider are also enabled to define any task or content on the system. A kid user is enabled to set up a monetary holding account on the system to accumulate the financial incentives under a long term goal. A charity is enabled to provide direct financial support to any programs registered on the system. | 09-11-2014 |
| 20140278869 | System And Method For Incentivizing Wireless Device Users To Interact With Sponsor Offers And Advertising - A computer system communicates with sponsors, mobile wireless devices, and wireless service providers to present incentives to wireless device users for accepting offers to interact with sponsor content. The incentive offers provide mobile wireless device accounts with credits that are paid by the sponsors. The system generates ACH messages to obtain payment for the credits and transfers the money to the wireless service providers for partial payment of wireless service charges. | 09-18-2014 |
| 20140289031 | SYSTEMS, METHODS AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIUM FOR WIRELESS SOLICITATIONS - Product offering systems are provided. Product offering systems may include sending an offer to a customer that possesses a mobile computing device and has agreed to receive offers for products via the mobile computing device. Agreeing to receive offers would result in the unique data about the customer being available to offer provider. Unique customer data may include data related to the customers wireless service provider or from a financial account in a financial institution, and collecting customer data about the customer, wherein the customer data comprises financial data and personal data. Product offering systems may further include registering a wireless computing device of the customer to able the device to receive the offer, and determining opportunities to send the offer to the customer by monitoring the customer and the customer data. Product offering systems may also include sending the offer to the customer's registered device based on the determination of opportunities. | 09-25-2014 |
| 20140297380 | CLAIMING INCENTIVES ON NETWORKED TELEVISIONS - Systems and methods described herein may enable a user to add an incentive displayed along with content on a networked television to a digital wallet associated with the user. The user may be capable of selecting the displayed incentive using a remote control in communication with the networked television, or using their mobile device which may be in direct communication with the networked television, or in communication with the networked television over a network. When the user selects the displayed incentive for storage in a digital wallet, the user may be prompted to authenticate to a provider associated with the digital wallet, wherein the authentication may be performed through the networked television using the remote control. The incentive may then be added to the user's digital wallet and may be used or applied when the user performs a transaction using the digital wallet. | 10-02-2014 |
| 20140310080 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROCESS LOYALTY BENEFITS - A system and method to provide a universal loyalty currency, facilitate exchange of loyalty benefits, and allow payments using loyalty benefits. A method includes: receiving registration information to associate account information of a payment account with at least one loyalty account to enable conversion of first loyalty benefits to second loyalty benefits; receiving, for a transaction, an authorization request identifying the account information and requesting the use of the second loyalty benefits to fund at least a portion of the transaction; and processing the transaction using the second benefits converted from the first loyalty benefits hosted in the loyalty account and funds from the payment account. | 10-16-2014 |
| 20140316873 | Apparatus, system and methods to issue a prize to a user of a credit account based on user purchase activities - An apparatus for issuing a prize to a user includes a prize activity host computer including a prize issuing program, a seller computer, and a user purchase input device. A purchase authorization request is transmitted from the seller computer to the prize activity host computer. User information (including user identification and user account information, obtained from the user purchase input device) is sent to the prize activity host computer. When the prize activity host computer confirms the purchase request, the prize activity host computer also determines when a prize is to be issued to the user, and thereafter issues the prize to the user. The apparatus is particularly useful for issuing prizes to users based on the users' use of a credit account to make a purchase. | 10-23-2014 |
| 20140324559 | Mortgage Matching System and Method - A computer-implemented method is disclosed for rewarding mortgage customers of a financial institution with a reward payment amount. The method includes providing enrollment in a mortgage matching system to eligible mortgage customers, wherein eligibility requirements include the requirement that eligible mortgage customers hold both a mortgage account and a checking account with the financial institution. The method additionally includes enabling the customer to make periodic mortgage payments from the checking account to the mortgage account and monitoring continued compliance with the eligibility requirements and submission of the periodic payments using a monitoring engine implemented by at least one computer processor. The method further includes determining a reward payment amount to be made by the financial institution to each complying mortgage customer using a fulfillment engine implemented by the at least one computer processor, wherein the reward payment amount is a predetermined percentage of principal and interest paid by each complying mortgage customer during a predetermined time period. The method further includes transferring the calculated reward payment amount to a pre-selected location for each complying mortgage customer, wherein the pre-selected location is accessible to the corresponding complying mortgage customer. | 10-30-2014 |
| 20140358656 | SYSTEM AND METHOD PROVIDING FLOW-THROUGH PRIVATE LABEL CARD ACQUISITION - The disclosed embodiments include methods, systems, and articles of manufacture for providing offers for merchant accounts. The disclosed embodiments include, for example, a system for providing offers for accounts associated with a merchant. The system may be configured to receive a product identifier from a consumer, the product identifier identifying a product available from a merchant. The system may also determine whether the consumer has a current financial service account associated with the merchant. Further, the system may determine one or more incentives to offer the consumer, the one or more incentives being based at least in part on the product identifier. The system may also generate an invitation to apply for a new financial service account associated with the merchant when the consumer does not have a current financial service account associated with the merchant, communicate the invitation to apply to the consumer, and award the one or more incentives to the consumer based on a response to the invitation to apply. | 12-04-2014 |
| 20140372190 | Methods for Providing Digital Incentives Including a Digital Incentives Switch for Matching Transactions and Incentives - Systems and methods for providing digital incentives or financial offsets including the steps of: providing a financial platform operable on a server computer and at least one database in electronic, digital communication over a network, the financial platform operable for financial services transactions; providing a database of profile data for the at least one user; developing a digital incentive program for stimulating financial transactions by at least one user, the digital incentive program including profile factors from the profile data of the at least one user; automatically providing at least one digital incentive to corresponding of the at least one user, the at least one digital incentive available for a redemption by each of the users, wherein the digital incentive has an electronic financial transaction value available for the redemption on any electronic financial transaction media, and wherein the redemption of the electronic financial transaction value of the digital incentive does not occur at a merchant level of the financial transactions. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20140379447 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STREAMLINED OFFER PROCESSING - This disclosure is of a system and method for using transaction cards to provide discounts to customers, where the customer initially funds the discount and then obtains a refund of the discount either simultaneously or shortly after the transaction. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20140379448 | Method For Purchasing Regulated Products Via The Internet - The present invention relates to an order management system for purchasing regulated products such as wine over the Internet. Currently, U.S. states require wine to be purchased directly from a licensed retailer or a producer permitted to ship the wine directly to the consumer. In a computer system, the present invention relates to methods for managing orders between a consumer and a wine producer or licensed retailer wherein the transaction is facilitated via a third party website, such as a wine club website. The methods of the present invention may also facilitate allocation of payments to a charity as part of the transaction, and for the use of split tender payments using virtual currency. | 12-25-2014 |
| 20150032521 | AGGREGATION OF SAVINGS DATA FROM PAST TRANSACTIONS - Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for aggregation of savings data from e-receipts. In some embodiments, an apparatus is configured to receive a request from a customer associated with a financial institution account; retrieve an information based on the request from a structured database associated with a customer's financial institution account, wherein the information includes a product purchase associated with the customer's purchase transaction; identify a savings amount associated with the product purchase; and provide the savings amount to the customer. | 01-29-2015 |
| 20150032522 | USE OF E-RECEIPTS FOR MICRO LOYALTY TARGETING - Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using e-receipts for micro loyalty targeting. The apparatus, methods, and computer program products comprise: a memory; a processor; and a module stored in memory, executable by a processor, and configured to: receive information associated with a purchase of an item, wherein the item includes an item category; increment a counter associated with the item category; determine, in response to incrementing the counter associated with the item category, if the counter equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold value; and transmit, in response to determining the counter equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold value, a message to a second apparatus. | 01-29-2015 |
| 20150046238 | POOLING BUSINESS CREDITS TO PROVIDE CROSS-REDEMPTION OPTIONS OF BUSINESS-SPECIFIC CREDITS - Systems and methods enable creation of assets redeemable for products and services for businesses. Business credits are assigned to users and applied toward transactions. Business credits from different businesses may be pooled and applied toward a single transaction. Rules for business credits may limit amounts that may be added to a pool. A users assets are ranked to determine those that are preferred to hold. Those assets that are available to fund a transaction and that are less preferable to hold are used first. Also disclosed is a system whereby brand-specific credits may be assigned to a user. A brand-specific credit may be selected and, in-response, branded products for which the credit may be redeemed are displayed. Upon selection of a product, an optical code is transmitted to a user device, which can be scanned to fund purchase of the selected product. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150046239 | Pooling Business Credits to Provide Cross-Redemption Options of Business-Specific Credits - Systems and methods enable creation of assets redeemable for products and services for businesses. Business credits are assigned to users and applied toward transactions. Business credits from different businesses may be pooled and applied toward a single transaction. Rules for business credits may limit amounts that may be added to a pool. A users assets are ranked to determine those that are preferred to hold. Those assets that are available to fund a transaction and that are less preferable to hold are used first. Also disclosed is a system whereby brand-specific credits may be assigned to a user. A brand-specific credit may be selected and, in-response, branded products for which the credit may be redeemed are displayed. Upon selection of a product, an optical code is transmitted to a user device, which can be scanned to fund purchase of the selected product. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150046240 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING MOBILE COUPONS FOR REDEMPTION - A system that uses a mobile device to efficiently redeem a coupon through a financial institution that includes a communication interface that receives, via a network, coupon data associated with one or more discounts and receipt data from a mobile device, a comparison processor that determines product data based on the receipt data and compares the coupon data with the receipt data, and a discount processor that provides a credit to an account holder based at least in part on the results of the comparison between the coupon data and the receipt data, wherein the credit is based on the coupon data. | 02-12-2015 |
| 20150051960 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR COMBING COUPONS WITH FINANCIAL ACCOUNTS - A system for linking coupons to financial accounts using a mobile device that includes a financial institution database that stores an account of an account holder, a communication interface of a financial institution that receives, via a network, coupon data associated with one or more discounts from a mobile device of the account holder, a linking processor that associates the coupon data with the account of the account holder, an authorization network interface that receives transaction data relating to transactions associated with the account of the account holder, a comparison processor of a financial institution that determines compares the coupon data with the transaction data to determine whether a qualifying transaction has occurred, and a discount processor of a financial institution that provides a credit to an account holder when a qualifying transaction has occurred. | 02-19-2015 |
| 20150058105 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REWARDS CALCULATION - A system and method in accordance with example embodiments may include systems and methods for calculating rewards, which may include, receiving account holder data, parsing the account holder data for transformation and loading purposes; receiving new financial account data from financial institutions, where a new financial account may be, for example, a credit card account, and new financial account data may include, for example, the terms and conditions associated with the financial account, fees associated with the financial account, and/or deals, benefits, rewards, and/or promotions associated with the financial account; determining spend categories based on the new financial account data; determining account holder customizations; determining seasonal trends associated with the account holder data; and determining an optimal new financial account based on the account holder data, new financial account data, spend categories, seasonal trends, and/or account holder customizations. | 02-26-2015 |
| 20150081410 | CREATING AN AFFINITY RELATIONSHIP - Embodiments of the invention receive an expression of interest for a benefactor from a user, propose creation of an affinity program associated with the benefactor to the user, and create an affinity program associated with the benefactor. Creating includes determining at least one triggering action for triggering a donation to the benefactor, determining at least one potential participant for the affinity program, and inviting the at least one potential participant to join the affinity program. Creating the affinity may also include proposing the affinity program to the benefactor and negotiating contractual terms on behalf of a program administrator, such as, by using an artificial intelligence engine. In some embodiments, creating the affinity also includes, in response to determining the number of expressions of interest from unique users surpasses a predetermined threshold, initiating the affinity program by inviting at least one of the unique users to join the program. | 03-19-2015 |
| 20150081411 | Enhanced Automatic Savings Program - A computer implemented system and method are disclosed of processing a financial transaction that includes determining an automatic savings amount and rewards amount payments. The system may comprises a checking account, a savings account, an account of a merchant, and one or more computer systems including a communication interface, processor, and memory storing computer-executable instructions. The rewards amount may be calculated based on various techniques. | 03-19-2015 |
| 20150088626 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO RESERVE AND RELEASE REWARDS FOR REDEMPTION DURING PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS - A system including a transaction handler configured to split a transaction, initiated between an acquirer processor representing a merchant and an issuer processor representing a user of a payment account, into separate transactions with the issuer processor and one or more sponsor processors in control of reward accounts of the user for the redemption of loyalty rewards. The transaction handler may communicate with the sponsor processors in parallel or in sequence to reserve and release rewards, and may provide a partial authorization for the transaction in response to each authorization for reward redemption from a respective reward account without a subsequent, updated authorization request for the transaction in the payment account of the user. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150100399 | PREFERRED REWARDS PROGRAM FOR CLASSIFICATION OF CUSTOMERS WITHINDIVIDUALLY OWNED FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ACCOUNTS - Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using preferred rewards program for classification of customers with individually owned financial institution accounts. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to receive information associated with a user's financial institution account on the last day of a current month, wherein the information comprises a monthly asset balance; determine an average asset balance based on generating an average monthly asset balance for at least two months prior to the current month; categorize the user, based on the average asset balance, to determine which of a plurality of status levels is applicable to the user, wherein the plurality of status levels is based on an asset balance range; and apply a benefit associated with the categorized status level to the user's financial institution account. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150100400 | PREFERRED REWARDS PROGRAM FOR CLASSIFICATION OF CUSTOMERS WITH JOINTLY OWNED FINANCIAL INSTITUTION ACCOUNTS - Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using a preferred rewards program for classification of customers with jointly owned financial institution account. In some embodiments, an apparatus is configured to receive a monthly asset balance associated with a first and second user's individually owned financial institution account; receive a monthly asset balance associated with a first and second user's jointly owned financial institution account; determine a first average asset balance associated with the first user; determine a second average asset balance associated with the second user; categorize the first and second user based on their respective average asset balances, to determine a status level; and apply one or more benefits associated with the categorized status levels to the first and second user's individually owned financial institution accounts. | 04-09-2015 |
| 20150106179 | ADVERTISING AND PROMOTION METHOD AND SYSTEM - An advertising and rewarding system, method, and process are provided. Among its various embodiments and enabling features, an embodiment may guarantee a lower price for an item of interest than what a consumer is willing or committed to pay. | 04-16-2015 |
| 20150112779 | APPLICATION OF BENEFITS TO EXISTING CARDS BASED ON CLASSIFICATION IN PREFERRED REWARDS PROGRAM - Embodiments of the invention are directed to apparatus, methods, and computer program products for using a preferred rewards program. In some embodiments, the apparatus is configured to receive information associated with a user's financial institution account on the last day of a current month, wherein the information comprises a monthly asset balance; determine an average asset balance based on generating an average monthly asset balance for at least two months prior to the current month; categorize the user, based on the average asset balance, to determine which of a plurality of status levels is applicable to the user, wherein the plurality of status levels is based on an asset balance range; identify an existing payment card associated with the user; and apply a benefit associated with the categorized status level to the user's existing payment card. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20150112780 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING OF A REAL-TIME REBATE AT TRANSACTION AUTHORIZATION - A method for initiating a rebate for a payment transaction funded using a reward account includes: storing account data entries, each entry including an account identifier and reward balance; receiving an authorization request for a transaction involving a merchant, the request including payment information and a transaction amount; calculating a transaction reward value based on the transaction amount and a conversion rule; identifying a reduction amount, wherein the amount is a lesser of the transaction reward value and the reward balance included in a data entry where the account identifier corresponds to the payment information; updating the reward balance included in the data entry based on the identified reduction amount; calculating a rebate amount based on the transaction reward value and reduction amount, and the conversion rule; and transmitting a rebate request for the rebate amount from an account of the merchant to an account corresponding to the payment information. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20150112781 | Method and System for Processing of a Real-Time Rebate at Transaction Authorization - Systems and methods for processing payment transactions involving reward accounts are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving an authorization request for a payment transaction involving a reward account. The authorization request includes at least a transaction amount. The method also includes determining, based on the reward preference, whether the payment transaction is eligible for a reward rebate and transmitting a request for the reward rebate when the payment transaction is eligible. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20150112782 | Methods and Systems for Unified Vault and Rewards within Real Money Applications - A virtual vault is generated and displayed for a user of a real-money application and is defined to hold in trust real-money rewards for the user. Each real-money reward is redeemable for real-world monetary value within the real-money application. The virtual vault includes respective reward graphics for the real-money rewards for the user. Upon selection of a reward graphic by the user, a determination is made as to whether or not the user is qualified to receive a real-money reward corresponding to the selected reward graphic. If the user is qualified to receive the real-money reward, the user is credited with a real-world monetary value specified by the real-money reward. Or, if the user is not qualified to receive the real-money reward, the user is notified of one or more actions required by the user in order to qualify for receipt of the real-money reward. | 04-23-2015 |
| 20150127441 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CARD-LINKED SERVICES - A system and method are disclosed for applying a rebate or promotion associated with a transaction account. Offer information representing an offer for a promotion or rebate provided to a purchaser is received, and at least some of the offer information is processed to associate the purchaser with at least one transaction account. Account information representing the at least one transaction account associated with the purchaser is transmitted to a computing device associated with the first party. Transaction information representing a transaction associated with the offer information and the account information is received from a computing device associated with the first party or a second party, and is processed to associate the transaction with the transaction account associated with the purchaser and the promotion or rebate. The rebate or promotion is applied as a function of the transaction information. | 05-07-2015 |
| 20150294339 | System for Secure Transactions - In some embodiments, a system comprises an interface and one or more processors. The interface receives account information associated with a financial account, wherein the financial account corresponds to a consumer. The processors are communicatively coupled to the interface. The processors determine, based on the account information, that the consumer invoked one or more security features for the financial account. The processors determine a reward based on the security features that the consumer invoked for the financial account and apply the reward to the financial account. | 10-15-2015 |
| 20150302447 | SYSTEMS, METHODS AND DEVICES FOR NON-ACQUIRED ACCOUNT PAYMENT AFFINITY DONATION - A cash payment system incents a customer to transact at a merchant's brick and mortar store in the customer's local community by the merchant's agreement to make an auditable donation to a charity serving the local community, where the charity is selected by the customer. Various merchant business rules limit the merchant's donations over specific calendar periods, which donations can be made directly by the merchant to the charity, or indirectly to the charity by way of a blind donation made by the merchant to a donation disbursement agency acting on the merchant's behalf to satisfy the merchant's commitment to donate. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150302469 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMPLEMENTING NOTIFICATIONS OF INCENTIVES OFFERED BY FUNDING SOURCES - A system and/or method may be provided to notify a user of incentives offered by various funding sources based on the user's location. In particular, incentives offered by various funding sources at various merchant locations are determined. The user's location and movements are monitored. When the user approaches or is near a merchant location where a funding source offers incentives, a notification maybe generated and presented to the user to notify or remind the user of the incentives offered at the merchant location. The notification may include description of the incentives and directions on how to obtain the incentives. | 10-22-2015 |
| 20150310470 | LOCATION-BASED CROWDSOURCED FUNDS - Methods and systems for providing cash using crowdsourcing are described. A requestor sends a request for cash, and the request is relayed to a plurality of lenders in the vicinity of the requestor. The requestor is matched with a lender based on certain criteria. After the exchange of cash is confirmed, the lender may be given a reward, such as cash, coupons, a good rating, and/or virtual points. | 10-29-2015 |
| 20150324832 | System And Process For Controlling A Computerized Entertainment Property Playlist. - Disclosed is a process and a system for controlling a computerized entertainment property playlist comprising registering a user and also registering an owner of the entertainment property. Next, the user can select, or allow a system to select on their behalf, entertainment property units owned by the owner, to be played on a playlist. Next, the system can be configured to store information relating to the registered user, the registered owner, and the media units in at least one database. Next, process can result in exporting the playlist via instructions sent by a microprocessor to at least one additional database. Next, the system can involve playing the entertainment property, or syncing multiple entertainment properties, on the playlist. Finally the system can involve rewarding the user based upon a number of units played of the media units and a duration of play of each of these media units. | 11-12-2015 |
| 20150332301 | Transaction Discount Systems and Methods - Systems and methods for applying a transaction discount to a payment account are disclosed. In one exemplary system, a transaction discount system includes a memory having a discount database identifying discounted transaction types, a discount amount per discounted transaction type for an account type, and where each discounted transaction type is associated with a sponsor account. A server receives an electronic transaction from a payment device associated with a payment account. The server is coupled to the memory and includes computer-executable instructions defining a consumer transaction discount program that authorizes a full payment of the electronic transaction on the payment account and further credits the payment account the discount amount when the electronic transaction matches the discounted transaction type and the payment account matches the account type. The consumer transaction discount program also further debits the sponsor account for the discount amount. | 11-19-2015 |
| 20150348080 | OMNI CHANNEL COMMERCE ENHANCEMENT MECHANISMS - A method for providing an electronic platform for redeeming a customer benefit offer is provided. The platform may include a receiver and one or more processors. The method may use the processor to establish a consumer packaged goods (“CPG”) treasury account. The method may use the receiver to receive a designation of a customer funding instrument. The method may further use the receiver to receive the transaction data. The transaction data may include a purchasing record of one or more purchased items. The method may further use the receiver to receive bar code information related to one of the purchased items. The method may further use the processor to determine whether the transaction data and the bar code data qualify an existent customer benefit offer for redemption. In response to a determination that the transaction data and the bar code data qualify an existent customer benefit offer for redemption, the method may further include executing a transfer of funds from the CPG treasury account to the customer funding instrument. The transfer may correspond, at least in part, to the amount of the customer benefit offer. | 12-03-2015 |
| 20150363810 | COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO TRANSMIT DATA AMONG A PLURALITY OF COMPUTING SYSTEMS IN PROCESSING BENEFIT REDEMPTION - Communication systems and methods to transmit data among a plurality of computing systems in processing benefit redemption, including a portal configured to communicate with transaction terminals, reward hosts and issues processors. In response to a reward balance inquiry from a transaction terminal, the portal communicates with a respective reward host to obtain the balance, communicates with an issuer processor to obtain a one-time use account number, and provides the transaction terminal with the balance and the account number. The transaction terminal an authorization request for a payment transaction made using the account number. In response to the authorization request being received in the issuer processor, the portal communicates with the issuer processor to identify the payment transaction and communicates with the reward host to perform a reward redemption to support the payment transaction. | 12-17-2015 |
| 20150371252 | PORTFOLIO MODELING AND CAMPAIGN OPTIMIZATION - In an embodiment of the invention, historical data related to multiple members of a customer loyalty program is gathered. A set of loyalty behavior models is developed for an individual member of the loyalty program is developed based on the historical data. For each campaign in a plurality of marketing campaigns, at least one combination of offers is inserted into each loyalty behavior model to output a plurality of net profit scores for the individual member, wherein each combination of offers outputs a separate net profit score. For each campaign in the plurality of campaigns, a combination of offers having the highest net profit score for the campaign is selected. The campaign having the highest net profit score of the plurality of campaigns is selected, and marketing materials for the selected campaign and combination of offers is transmitted to the individual member. | 12-24-2015 |
| 20160004798 | DETERMINING THE PERFORMANCE OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL SYSTEM USING A PREDICTIVE MODEL - Disclosed herein are systems and methods for predicting an energy savings resulting from the replacement of existing equipment with new equipment. In the example embodiments, the energy saving prediction is utilized to create a customized warranty for an individual customer of an HVAC system or subcomponent thereof. Historical energy usage, historical climate data, old and new equipment parameters, and customer use data is input to a predictive modeling algorithm, which determines an energy savings prediction. Alternative models may be employed and a weighting factor applied to each to arrive at an improved energy savings prediction. The energy savings prediction is utilized to warranty to the customer an estimated dollar savings that will result from the installation of the new equipment. The warranty provides that, in the event the predicted energy savings is not realized, the customer is entitled to receive a dollar amount representing the shortfall in warranted energy savings. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160012465 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISTRIBUTING, RECEIVING, AND USING FUNDS OR CREDITS AND APPARATUS THEREOF | 01-14-2016 |
| 20160026994 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTHORIZING A PAYMENT VIA A REMOTE DEVICE - A method of and system for authorizing a transaction remotely is disclosed. A customer uses a computer to browse for a product displayed on the Internet. The customer may enter a unique number into the computer. The unique number is authorized and an authorization code is sent to the customer's communication device. The customer enters the authorization code into the computer to complete the transaction. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160027032 | Invitation Tag - An invitation tag has a substrate and a vendor account activation code displayed on the substrate. The vendor account activation code is configured to direct a vendor to create a vendor account on an administrative server. The administrative server is configured to administrate a beneficiary account, the vendor account and a supporter account. The beneficiary account includes beneficiary information and beneficiary user account settings and beneficiary account bank information so that the administrative server can send instructions to financial institutions to direct funds to the beneficiary account. The invitation tag optionally has a unique randomly generated identification number that associates the vendor account to the beneficiary account and the supporter account. The invitation tag may also have beneficiary account indicia identifying the beneficiary and supporter account indicia identifying the supporter. | 01-28-2016 |
| 20160042381 | METHODS, SYSTEMS AND COMPUTER READABLE MEDIA FOR PROVIDING BENEFITS TO LOCAL COMMUNITY ENTITIES VIA PURCHASE CARD TRANSACTIONS - Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing benefits to local community entities via purchase card transactions are disclosed. In one example, the method includes receiving a message indicating that a purchase transaction has been initiated with a purchase transaction card associated with a community-based payment card reward program managed via the website management platform, using purchase transaction information contained in the message to determine if the purchase transaction was conducted in a local area specified by the community-based payment card reward program, applying a credit to a cardholder account associated with the purchase transaction card in the event the purchase transaction is initiated at a merchant site located within the local area and determining a donation amount to be provided to at least one charitable entity located within the local area in the event the purchase transaction is initiated at a merchant site located outside of the local area. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160042382 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING GIFT CARDS BY INTERCEPTING A PURCHASING TRANSACTION - Disclosed herein is a method for enabling gift card recipients to redeem gift card amounts using existing payment accounts. A system identifies a giver and recipient of a gift card amount and associated accounts. A policy is established which governs how the gift card is redeemed, such as a specific merchant or item. When a purchase is made using an existing credit/debit card according to the policy, the system intercepts the purchase and causes the gift card amount to be applied from an account other than the recipient account. No special codes, separate physical gift cards, or printable coupons are necessary for redemption. The recipient makes purchases using their normal purchasing credit/debit card via a qualifying purchase according to the policy, and the gift card is applied automatically. The recipient credit/debit card becomes a combination of an open-looped card and a closed-loop card. Thus, no money is wasted or lost. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20160117710 | PROCESS FOR PROVIDING PHYSICAL GOLD-BACK REBATES ON PURCHASES BY A SECURED GOLD-BACK SAVINGS SYSTEM - A secured SSL protected private membership gold-back savings club system and a process for providing physical gold-back rebates on purchases are disclosed. The system and process provide physical gold-back rebates on e-commerce and point of sale (POS) purchases. The physical gold-back rebates on purchases are provided through a secured SSL protected private membership savings club platform. The private membership savings club platform is based on specific secured strategic synergy transaction network systems, applications, and APIs. | 04-28-2016 |
| 20160155103 | UTILIZING AN ELECTRONIC PAYMENT SYSTEM TO IMPLEMENT REBATE PROGRAMS | 06-02-2016 |
| 20160171518 | SPONSOR ACCESS TO INCENTIVIZED CUSTOMER ACCOUNT GOALS | 06-16-2016 |
